Bab 86: Jadi Selama Ini Dia Memang Sampah?

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"Ibu sibuk hari ini, jadi aku datang sendiri." Shen Lan berdiri tegak, mendongak angkuh ke arah Shen Lu. "Aku datang untuk mengantar undangan." Shen Lan mengambil undangan berlapis debu emas dari tasnya. "Aku juga sudah membuatkan kartu akses untukmu. Ada di dalamnya. Lusa jam enam sore. Jangan lupa." Shen Lu menatap Shen Lan beberapa detik, lalu tiba-tiba tersenyum dan menerima undangan itu. "Baiklah. Aku akan datang tepat waktu." Dulu, dia tidak akan pernah mau menerimanya. Shen Lu tidak punya kesabaran untuk berurusan dengan orang-orang seperti Shen Lan, tapi mau bagaimana lagi? Dia terikat misi tersembunyi. Menghadiri jamuan itu hanya kedok. Tujuan utamanya adalah memanfaatkan kesempatan itu untuk menyelidiki perusahaan farmasi tersebut. Shen Lan tampak yakin Shen Lu akan setuju dan memasang senyum penuh kemenangan, seolah berkata, "Sudah kuduga." Ia melirik ke arah lapak yang sedang dibongkar, kekhawatirannya dibalut kesombongan yang pekat. "Berjualan di pinggir jalan jelas bukan pekerjaan terhormat. Nanti saat bertemu Ayah dan Ibu, kamu harus minta maaf yang benar. Demi masa lalu, mungkin mereka akan memberimu sedikit uang. Setidaknya hidupmu di Distrik Kota Bawah bisa sedikit lebih baik." "Begitukah?" Shen Lu tersenyum tipis. Terakhir kali, sorot mata Nyonya Shen menyiratkan seolah dia ingin menguliti hidup-hidup. Dan sekarang, permintaan maaf sederhana dianggap bisa membuat mereka bernostalgia? "Tentu saja. Ayah, Ibu, dan Kakak semuanya orang baik. Selama kamu benar-benar bertobat, mereka akan memaafkanmu." Shen Lan menepis debu dari roknya. "Sebaiknya kamu berhenti berjualan di sini. Jual barang-barangmu dan beli gaun formal yang pantas. Akan ada banyak orang penting di jamuan itu; usahakan jangan bikin malu." Shen Lan benar-benar menjilat ludahnya sendiri. Kalau mereka begitu takut aku mempermalukan mereka di depan orang-orang penting, kenapa repot-repot mengundangku? Lagian aku juga tidak berniat datang dari awal. Tapi lihat dia sekarang, sengaja datang jauh-jauh mengantar undangan dan memaksa untuk hadir. Kalau tidak ada udang di balik batu, Shen Lu tidak akan percaya. "Pokoknya, aku harus pergi. Siapkan dirimu dalam beberapa hari ke depan. Oh ya, undangan ini cuma atas namamu, jadi jangan bawa-bawa sampah dari kelompokmu." Begitu selesai bicara, Shen Lan berbalik dan berjalan menuju mobilnya. Pas saat ia hendak masuk, Shen Lu memanggilnya. "Shen Lan." Ia menoleh. "Hm? Apa lagi? Kalau mau pinjam uang buat beli gaun, tidak usah berharap." "Bukan, aku tidak mau minta uang. Cuma mau ngasih saran ramah." Kilatan ejekan melintas di mata Shen Lu. "Jangan pakai sepatu hak tinggi lain kali. Tidak cocok buatmu. Kamu benar-benar kelihatan seperti monyet yang baru belajar pakai kaki." Wajah Shen Lan langsung pucat pasi karena marah. Ia mendelik tajam ke arah Shen Lu, masuk ke dalam mobil dengan penuh kekesalan, lalu membanting pintu keras-keras. Usai mengejek Shen Lan, Shen Lu merasa sangat puas. Hih, yang benar saja. Sok jual mahal di depanku dengan kemampuan cetek begitu. Tunggu saja, bakal kuoyak topeng palsu itu sampai berkeping-keping. Di dalam mobil, Shen Lan mendidih karena amarah. Dia sebenarnya tidak terbiasa memakai sepatu hak tinggi, tapi sepatu itu membuatnya terlihat lebih berwibawa. Ia memakainya semata-mata agar bisa meremehkan Shen Lu dari atas. Rupanya, rencana itu sama sekali tidak berjalan mulus. Sejak kedatangannya tadi, Shen Lu hanya duduk santai di kursinya dengan malas, tanpa menunjukkan rasa terintimidasi sedikit pun oleh kehadirannya. Hih! Tunggu saja. Di pesta ulang tahun lusa nanti, aku pasti bakal bikin Shen Lu menderita! Shen Lu membuka undangan itu dan melirik kartu akses di dalamnya. Kartu akses itu berupa kartu magnetik. Ada jenis jangka panjang dan jangka pendek, dan yang di tangannya ini adalah jenis jangka pendek yang berlaku selama tiga hari. "Pelit banget. Cuma kartu tiga hari? Kenapa tidak kasih lebih lama sekalian?" Biaya kartu akses dihitung berdasarkan masa berlakunya. Kartu jangka panjang adalah yang paling mahal, dan semakin singkat durasinya, semakin murah harganya. Kartu yang diberikan Shen Lan tadi kemungkinan harganya sekitar 1.000 Koin Bintang. Ia memasukkan kartu akses dan undangan itu ke dalam inventaris, lalu Cai Su datang melapor bahwa semua barang sudah dikemas dan mereka bisa segera kembali ke rumah kontrakan. "Kita tidak balik ke kontrakan. Kita langsung pindah ke tempat baru." Shen Lu bangkit berdiri. "Ayo. Aku antar kalian lihat calon tempat kerja kalian." Shen Lu dan Cai Su mendorong gerobak makanan dan mesin malatang, sementara Wang Daguo bertugas mendorong kursi roda Fu Cheng. Keempatnya tiba di ujung Jalan Emas. Sinar matahari sore menembus jendela kaca besar toko dari lantai ke langit-langit, menciptakan efek Tyndall yang indah di dalam ruangan. Mata Cai Su membelalak. "I-Ini toko baru Bos Shen?" Begitu baru dan indah, sangat luas, terang, dan bersih. Ini toko paling mengesankan yang pernah ia lihat. Wang Daguo juga terkejut. Toko Shen Lu begitu baru sampai rasanya tidak mungkin ada di Distrik Kota Bawah. Tempat itu juga jauh lebih besar dari bayangannya. Berapa banyak biaya yang dihabiskan untuk ini? "Betul. Ini toko baruku. Ayo, kita masuk." Shen Lu membuka pintu utama, dan lampu di dalam ruangan langsung menyala otomatis. Begitu berada di dalam, kekaguman Wang Daguo dan Cai Su semakin menjadi-jadi. Toko itu bahkan dilapisi kayu mahal, dan dapur belakangnya luar biasa luas. Shen Lu menyuruh Wang Daguo menggendong Fu Cheng dan menuntun mereka naik ke lantai dua. Mereka memasuki area tempat tinggal, dan Fu Cheng dibaringkan di atas ranjang kamar tidur kedua. Wang Daguo melihat sekeliling dengan penuh takjub, lalu bergumam dari lubuk hatinya yang paling dalam, "Bos Shen, rumahmu bagus banget." Rumah baru, perabotan baru, dan ruangannya begitu luas. Keluarganya yang berlima masih harus berjejal di rumah kecil seluas dua puluh meter persegi, di mana dia harus tidur di lantai ruang tamu setiap malam. Shen Lu berkata, "Ada asrama staf. Kalian boleh pindah ke sana kalau mau." Asrama staf adalah unit dengan tiga kamar tidur dan satu ruang keluarga. Setiap kamar berisi tempat tidur susun. Ruang keluarganya dipakai bersama, tapi ruangan lainnya bersifat pribadi. Wang Daguo menggeleng. "Tidak usah, Bos. Lebih baik aku tetap tinggal di rumah." Semua anggota keluarganya perempuan. Kalau dia tidak di rumah, nenek, ibu, dan saudari-saudarinya tidak akan bisa tidur nyenyak. Selain itu, dia tidak mungkin meninggalkan keluarganya demi datang ke sini untuk bersenang-senang sendirian. Shen Lu menyalakan pendingin ruangan di kamar kedua, merapikan selimut Fu Cheng, bahkan memindahkan televisi dari ruang keluarga ke kamarnya. "Istirahat saja di sini dan jangan pikirkan apa pun. Nonton TV kalau bosan, tidur kalau capek. Aku mau turun ke bawah beres-beres dulu." Shen Lu memberikan instruksi itu lalu turun bersama Wang Daguo. Tangan kiri Fu Cheng terangkat sedikit ke arah kepergian Shen Lu, lalu mengepal erat. Ketimbang tinggal sendirian di sini, dia lebih ingin berada di sisi Shen Lu. Namun, dia tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa. Dia hanya bisa patuh mengikuti pengaturan wanita itu. Pandangannya jatuh ke layar televisi yang sedang menayangkan siaran berita terkini dari garis depan. Menyaksikan adegan tembakan artileri yang berkecamuk, Fu Cheng merasakan dislokasi surealis, seolah semua itu terjadi di masa lalu yang sangat jauh. Apakah aku benar-benar sudah tidak berguna selama ini? Begitu lamanya sampai aku bahkan lupa rasanya membunuh mutan buas di garis depan. Adegan di layar bergeser dari luar ruangan ke dalam ruangan, di mana seorang perwira militer duduk tegak kaku untuk menjalani wawancara. Perwira ini tak lain adalah sahabat baik Fu Cheng, Li Zenan. "...Ya, serangan gelombang buas ini memang mendadak, tapi kami selalu siaga penuh, jadi kami bisa mengatasinya dengan mudah." Ekspresi Fu Cheng melunak. Ia melirik lencana di pundak Li Zenan. Baru beberapa bulan berlalu, dia sudah jadi letnan. Reporter: "Letnan Li, kami dengar waktu Anda biasanya sangat padat, dan sinyal di garis depan juga buruk. Anda pasti sudah lama tidak kontak dengan keluarga, ya? Mau pakai kesempatan ini untuk memberi tahu mereka lewat kamera kalau Anda baik-baik saja?" "Baiklah." Li Zenan menganggukkan kepalanya sedikit lalu menatap kamera. "Ayah, Ibu, Kakak, aku baik-baik saja. Tolong jangan khawatir. Juga, Fu Cheng, jangan menyerah pada dirimu sendiri. Terkadang, tekad jauh lebih penting daripada pengobatan apa pun!"}⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠

"My mother is busy today, so I came alone." Shen Lan stood up straight, looking down her nose at Shen Lu. "I’m here to deliver an invitation."

Shen Lan took a gold-dusted invitation from her bag. "I had an access pass made for you as well. It’s tucked inside. The day after tomorrow at six in the evening. Don’t forget."

Shen Lu stared at Shen Lan for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled and accepted the invitation. "Alright. I’ll be there on time."

’In the past, she would have never accepted.’

’Shen Lu had no patience for getting mixed up with people like Shen Lan, but what choice did she have? She’d accepted a hidden mission.’

’Attending the banquet was just a pretense. Her real goal was to use the opportunity to investigate the pharmaceutical company.’

Shen Lan seemed certain she would agree and flashed a smug, "I-knew-it" smile. She glanced at the stall being packed up, her concern laced with thick arrogance. "Running a street stall isn’t exactly respectable. When you see Father and Mother this time, you should give them a proper apology. For old times’ sake, they might give you some money. At least then you could live a slightly better life in the Lower City District."

"Is that so?" Shen Lu gave a half-smile. ’Last time, the look in Mrs. Shen’s eyes made it seem like she wanted to flay me alive. And now, a simple apology is supposed to make her all nostalgic?’

"Of course. Father, Mother, and Brother are all such good people. As long as you sincerely repent, they’ll forgive you." Shen Lan flicked a piece of dust from her skirt. "You should stop running this stall. Sell your things and buy a decent formal dress. There will be important people at the banquet; try not to be an embarrassment."

’Shen Lan is completely contradicting herself.’

’If they’re so worried I’ll be a disgrace in front of important people, then why invite me at all? It’s not like I wanted to go in the first place.’

’But here she is, going out of her way to deliver an invitation and insisting I come. If there wasn’t something fishy about this, Shen Lu simply wouldn’t believe it.’

"Anyway, I have to go. You should get ready over the next couple of days. Oh, and this invitation only has your name on it, so don’t bring any of your riffraff with you."

With that, Shen Lan turned and walked toward her car.

Just as she was about to get in, Shen Lu called out to her.

"Shen Lan."

She turned her head. "Hm? What is it? If you’re going to ask to borrow money for a dress, don’t bother."

"No, I’m not going to ask you for money. Just a friendly reminder." A flash of ridicule crossed Shen Lu’s eyes. "Don’t wear high heels next time. They don’t suit you. You honestly look like a monkey that’s just learned how to use its legs."

Shen Lan’s face went pale with anger. She shot Shen Lu a venomous glare, got into the car resentfully, and slammed the door shut.

After ridiculing Shen Lan, Shen Lu felt a great sense of satisfaction. ’Hah, what a joke. Thinking she could act all high and mighty in front of me with that level of skill. Just wait, I’ll tear that fake face of hers to shreds.’

Sitting in the car, Shen Lan was seething with rage.

She really wasn’t used to high heels, but they made her look more imposing. She had only worn them so she could look down on Shen Lu.

Apparently, it hadn’t gone as planned.

From the moment she arrived, Shen Lu had been sitting in her chair, casual and languid, showing no sign of being intimidated by her presence at all.

Hmph!

’Just you wait. At the birthday banquet the day after tomorrow, I’ll definitely make Shen Lu pay!’

Shen Lu opened the invitation and glanced at the access pass.

The access pass was a magnetic card. They came in long-term and short-term versions, and the one in her hand was short-term, valid for three days.

"So stingy. Only a three-day pass? Couldn’t they have spared a few more days?"

The cost of an access pass was calculated based on its validity period. Long-term passes were the most expensive, and the shorter the duration, the cheaper it was. The one Shen Lan had given her probably cost around 1,000 Star Coins.

She put the access pass and invitation into her inventory, and Cai Su came over to say that everything was packed up and they could go back to the rental house.

"We’re not going back to the rental. We’re moving directly into the new place." Shen Lu stood up. "Come on. I’ll take you to see your future workplace."

Shen Lu and Cai Su pushed the food cart and the malatang machine, while Wang Daguo was in charge of pushing Fu Cheng. The four of them arrived at the end of Gold Street.

The setting sun slanted through the shop’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows, creating a beautiful Tyndall effect inside.

Cai Su’s eyes widened. "Th-This is Boss Shen’s new shop?"

It was so new and beautiful, so spacious, bright, and clean. It was the most impressive shop she had ever seen.

Wang Daguo was also surprised. Shen Lu’s shop was so new it didn’t seem like something that would exist in the Lower City District. It was also much larger than he had imagined. ’How much must this have cost?’

"That’s right. This is my new shop. Come on, let’s go inside."

Shen Lu opened the main door, and the lights inside turned on automatically.

Once they were inside, Wang Daguo and Cai Su’s surprise grew even greater. The shop was even decorated with expensive wood, and the back kitchen was unbelievably spacious.

Shen Lu had Wang Daguo carry Fu Cheng and led them up to the second floor.

They entered the living quarters, and she had Fu Cheng placed on the bed in the secondary bedroom.

Wang Daguo looked around curiously, remarking from the bottom of his heart, "Boss Shen, your home is really nice."

A new house, new furniture, and so much space. His own family of five was still squeezed into a small, twenty-square-meter house where he had to sleep on the floor in the living room every night.

Shen Lu said, "There’s a staff dormitory. You can move in if you want."

The staff dormitory was a three-bedroom, one-living-room unit. Each room contained a bunk bed. The living room was communal, but all other spaces were private.

Wang Daguo shook his head. "No, thanks. It’s better for me to stay at home."

His family was all women. If he wasn’t home, his grandmother, mother, and sisters wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly.

Besides, he couldn’t just abandon his family to come here and enjoy himself.

Shen Lu turned on the air conditioner in the secondary bedroom, straightened Fu Cheng’s blanket, and even moved the television from the living room into his room.

"Just rest here and don’t worry about anything. Watch TV if you get bored, and rest if you’re tired. I need to go downstairs and get busy." Shen Lu gave him these instructions and went downstairs with Wang Daguo.

Fu Cheng’s left hand lifted slightly in the direction Shen Lu had gone, then clenched into a fist.

’More than staying here alone, he wanted to be by Shen Lu’s side.’

’But there was nothing he could do. He could only obediently follow her arrangements.’

His gaze fell upon the television screen, which was currently broadcasting a breaking news report from the front lines.

Watching the scenes of raging artillery fire, Fu Cheng felt a sense of surreal dislocation, as if from another lifetime.

’Have I really been useless for this long?’

’So long that I’ve even forgotten what it felt like to kill mutant beasts on the front lines.’

The scene on the screen flashed from outdoors to indoors, where a military officer was sitting ramrod straight for an interview.

This officer was none other than Fu Cheng’s good friend, Li Zenan.

"...Yes, this beast tide attack was sudden, but we’re always on high alert, so we responded with ease."

Fu Cheng’s expression softened. He glanced at the insignia on Li Zenan’s shoulder. ’It’s only been a few months, and he’s already a lieutenant.’

Reporter: "Lieutenant Li, we hear that your time is usually very tight, and the signal on the front lines is poor. You probably haven’t been in contact with your family for a long time, have you? Would you like to take this opportunity to let them know you’re safe on camera?"

"Alright." Li Zenan dipped his chin slightly and looked at the camera. "Father, Mother, Sister, I’m doing fine. Please don’t worry. Also, Fu Cheng, don’t give up on yourself. Sometimes, willpower is more important than any treatment!"

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