Blue Cocktail chapter 70

Lu Huaiqian’s efficiency was very high, using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V shortcuts with lightning speed.

An hour later, he sent the neatly organized files to Cheng Shuo, along with a boastful emoji, expecting praise from Cheng Shuo. However, Cheng Shuo, without lifting his head, expressed a simple “thank you” and promptly escorted Lu Huaiqian out of the study with great courtesy.

“Isn’t it too heartless to use and discard me like this?” Lu Huaiqian jokingly complained, though he swiftly picked up the chair and left to avoid the noise of the gears on the floor bothering Cheng Shuo.

Back in his personal space, Lu Huaiqian reviewed the results of the written test for the job applicants.

Though the written test was conducted online, he wasn’t concerned about cheating. The test had time limitations, and the number of questions was exceptionally large. If applicants searched for answers one by one, they wouldn’t finish in time. Moreover, half of the questions he provided were intentionally challenging, requiring critical thinking. Without thoroughly researching on Baidu, the applicants wouldn’t find the answers.

All the objective questions had already been graded by the system, leaving only the subjective questions for him to review. Separated by a wall, both of them worked diligently into the night, and this night was uneventful.

Lu Huaiqian wasn’t one to sleep in, but Cheng Shuo occasionally did—only during leisurely moments. If busy, he could wake up even earlier than Lu Huaiqian, which was the case today.

Lu Huaiqian, not having the habit of sleeping in, was making breakfast when Cheng Shuo hurriedly passed by, mentioning that he had already eaten. Realizing his efforts were in vain, Lu Huaiqian asked about Cheng Shuo’s meal—boiled vegetables, eggs, and noodles.

Cheng Shuo then rushed back to the study without giving Lu Huaiqian a chance to say much.

The same pattern continued into the afternoon, with Cheng Shuo quickly finishing his lunch and returning to his drafts. Lu Huaiqian, trying to seize an opportunity, barely had a chance for a few words. This continued until the afternoon when a turning point occurred.

At that moment, Lu Huaiqian was texting the bartender who had passed the written test, inviting him for the final interview. Suddenly, he saw a figure passing by—Cheng Shuo, holding a computer.

After placing the computer on the desk, Cheng Shuo, with a tense expression, asked, ‘Do you find it appealing?’

Lu Huaiqian was about to reply when Cheng Shuo, as if remembering something, added, ‘I want to hear the truth; I don’t want false compliments.’

“It’s appealing,” Lu Huaiqian earnestly responded.

“Really?” Cheng Shuo asked.

“Really,” Lu Huaiqian nodded.

Leaning down, Cheng Shuo stretched his neck to look at the screen. Furrowing his eyebrows slightly, he scratched his head. ‘But I still think it’s not stunning enough. Maybe there’s a problem with the color matching. I wonder what went wrong.’

He scratched his head again. ‘I used to think that color was my strength. Today, after spending the whole morning adjusting the colors, I almost doubted my life. I may not be good at classical color matching.’

Lu Huaiqian pondered and suggested, ‘Maybe you can refer to the color schemes of classical paintings?’

Hearing this, Cheng Shuo sighed lightly. ‘I’ve already referred to classical painting color schemes, but the current effect is too ancient, lacking the crucial, modern, and trendy feeling I want.’

“Actually, in my freshman year, I learned the basics of Chinese painting in an elective class. But I haven’t touched it for a long time; I returned all my works to the teacher. If I were to search for related literature and self-study traditional color matching, slowly polishing it, I could eventually achieve the desired effect. However,” Cheng Shuo lowered his head, “time is running out.”

“Don’t worry,” Lu Huaiqian consoled him. “There’s always a way.”

“What way?”

Lu Huaiqian was just starting to think, and after a moment of contemplation, he exclaimed, “I’ve got it!”

“Suddenly, I remembered that I know an expert in this field!”

“An expert?” Cheng Shuo inquired.

‘He specializes in cultural relic restoration, usually mending ancient paintings and naturally skilled in color correction. Let me ask him if he has time to guide you.’

Saying this, Liu Huaiqian opened WeChat.

‘Oh, we really haven’t contacted each other for a long time.’

For a moment, Lu Huaiqian couldn’t recall the person’s full name, only remembering the character ‘Yi,’ which was quite unique. Relying on this, he found the expert in his WeChat list among hundreds of contacts. Surprisingly, their last chat was a New Year’s greeting.

Without feeling awkward about seeking help, Lu Huaiqian quickly composed a message and sent it.

Cheng Shuo sat on a chair next to Lu Huaiqian, waiting for a few minutes, unable to resist asking, ‘what did he say? Is he willing?’

Lu Huaiqian glanced, ‘No response yet.’

Cheng Shuo asked again, ‘Do you think he’s likely to agree?’

‘Hard to say,’ Lu Huaiqian rubbed his chin. ‘In my impression, he’s quite aloof, not seeking fame or wealth, living in seclusion, appreciating his own achievements, and being indifferent. If I mention payment, he might consider it vulgar.’

‘What do I do?’ Cheng Shuo’s features wrinkled in frustration. After pondering for a moment, he said, ‘Wait a minute, something’s not right. If he’s truly living as you described, detached from worldly desires, why would he appear on your list? Logically, he should disdain associating with a capitalist like you who throws money around.’

‘I also forgot how we added each other; he’s been lying dormant in my list for two or three years.’

Fortunately, the internet has a memory. Lu Huaiqian scrolled up, full of various holiday wishes and bar activity announcements he sent. He tirelessly scrolled for over ten minutes until he reached the earliest chat records.

After quickly skimming through, he showed a surprised expression. Slowly, the surprise turned into a triumphant smile. ‘I remember.’

‘What?’ Cheng Shuo asked anxiously.

Lu Huaiqian patted Cheng Shuo’s shoulder. ‘Alright, you don’t need to worry. I have confidence; he’ll agree.’

‘Why?’ Cheng Shuo questioned.

‘Because he added me first.’

Cheng Shuo paused, pursed his lips, and suddenly added a hint of sourness to his tone. ‘He added you first? Why would he take the initiative?’

‘I’m not entirely sure of his specific intentions, but I remember, at that time, I had already graduated for two or three years when I suddenly received a friend request. I didn’t know where he got my contact information. Still, this WeChat account was dedicated to promoting bar activities. Generally, I would try to make everyone into a bar customer.’

‘What happened next?’

‘Then I accepted his friend request. He immediately asked me if Fu Mingchen was my college roommate. I said yes, and then he inquired about some details about Fu Mingchen. He specifically cautioned me not to let Fu Mingchen know. Finally, he sent a large red envelope as a thank-you. I’m a man of my word; as long as the money is delivered, I’m good.’

With that, Lu Huaiqian lowered his head and edited a line: ‘You may not remember me; I was Fu Mingchen’s college roommate.’

Sent.

Soon, Cheng Shuo noticed a seeming contradiction, “You said he thinks giving money is vulgar, yet he sent you a red envelope?”

“He probably thinks I’m a vulgar person who doesn’t need refined thanks,” Lu Huaiqian shrugged, smirking. “Don’t tell anyone; I just love this extremely vulgar way of expressing gratitude.”

“Why did he ask you about Fu Mingchen?”

“Who knows?” Lu Huaiqian spread his hands, “One day, when I was having dinner with Fu Mingchen, I casually asked, ‘Do you know Song Qingyi?'”

“Fu Mingchen said he didn’t know him, and that was the end of it.”

As he finished speaking, Lu Huaiqian’s phone suddenly vibrated.

Both Lu Huaiqian and Cheng Shuo leaned in to see—

“Awesome!”

Cheng Shuo jumped up with joy, and instinctively high-fived Lu Huaiqian.

On the chat screen, Song Qingyi replied with just two words: “Sure, anytime.”