Chapter 1923 — The Cafeteria Conflict
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Fan Ganhe, did you do that on purpose? Knocking my steamed buns onto the floor—are you trying to get me docked points?" Bai Weituo was so angry that his face had flushed red. Fan Ganhe really was pushing him too far: the man had bumped into him, and not only had he not apologized, he wore a look of gloating satisfaction.
"I bumped into you? If you hadn't bumped into me, how would I have bumped into you? You walk around without eyes, and then you stand here blaming others?" Fan Ganhe gave a cold laugh. "Let me tell you something, Bai Weituo—if we hadn't had a few drinks together before, I'd have knocked you clear across the Pacific with one punch for a remark like that!"
"You—" Bai Weituo's chest heaved. Fan Ganhe was a sports recruit; if it actually came to blows, Bai Weituo would surely be the one to come off worse. But the buns had fallen to the floor, and he was not about to lose two points for no reason at all.
"You could just pick them up, couldn't you? Pick them up and eat them, and you won't lose any points." Zhang Duopan's voice rose from the side. It looked as though he was speaking up for Bai Weituo—but what was it, if not mockery?
"Oh, right, you could pick them up and eat them—then you wouldn't lose points!" Fan Ganhe kicked the two buns on the ground, and they went rolling and rumbling across the floor until they came to rest at Bai Weituo's feet. The buns, already dirty, grew filthier still.
"You two—" Bai Weituo itched to slam the tray in his hands right into Fan Ganhe's face, but he knew he could not do it. If he did, it would be far worse than losing two points—it would be a breach of discipline. The instructor would certainly send him back to school, and might even cancel his military-training credits altogether!
"What about us? 'Who knows that every grain on the plate comes from bitter toil'—don't waste a single bite, we must be frugal and thrifty!" Fan Ganhe eyed Bai Weituo with a mocking grin. Last time at the karaoke bar, Bai Weituo and Wei Zhao had made Zhang Duopan and Fan Ganhe lose face badly, and the two of them had naturally not let it go; they were looking for a chance to get even with Bai Weituo. When they heard the cafeteria rules, they knew their chance had come.
"Phew—" Bai Weituo drew a deep breath. He decided to pick up the two buns from the floor first and worry about the rest later. Leaving food uneaten on the plate would cost him one point at most, while dropping it on the ground cost two. With his credits at stake, he was prepared to swallow his pride for now.
But just as Bai Weituo was about to bend down and pick up the two buns, a hand darted in ahead of his. The owner of that hand was none other than Wei Zhao!
Wei Zhao scooped up the two buns from the floor, and then, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, rubbed them against the sole of his shoe before straightening up.
Zhang Duopan was baffled; Fan Ganhe was baffled; even Bai Weituo was baffled. No one had the faintest idea what Wei Zhao meant by it.
"Urgh—ah—" Zhang Duopan had never expected Wei Zhao to stuff the bun into his mouth. He struggled frantically to clench his jaw shut, but the force Wei Zhao brought to bear on his cheeks was astonishing; Zhang Duopan could only watch as Wei Zhao shoved the filthy bun into his mouth.
"'Who knows that every grain on the plate comes from bitter toil'—since you're so afraid of waste, you may as well eat it!" Wei Zhao said without expression. Even as he spoke, he pressed at Zhang Duopan's throat to make the bun slide down his esophagus.
"Cough—cough—urgh—" Zhang Duopan clutched his throat and began coughing violently. The bun was stuck fast, and he could not breathe; his face had turned purple.
"Damn you, so you have a death wish, do you?" Fan Ganhe had been stunned by Wei Zhao's move, but when Zhang Duopan started coughing, he snapped back to his senses and pointed furiously at Wei Zhao. "You're asking to die..."