Chapter 9
“Alright, Young Master, you don’t need any more IV drips. You’ll recover in a couple of days with some rest.”
After three consecutive days of IV drips, three small bottles of anti-inflammatory injections, and three large bottles of glucose, Jiang Huaisheng’s throat recovered, and the swelling in his private area subsided.
Gu Tang breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t need to apply medicine to Jiang Huaisheng anymore. The young master’s body was really delicate. For three days of IV drips, he diligently applied medicine and read to him for three days.
Of course, Jiang Huaisheng didn’t make him read all day long, only when he was getting the IV drip. Sometimes, while reading, he would close his eyes and fall asleep.
The sleeping Jiang Huaisheng looked serene. With his porcelain doll-like face, when he was quiet, he looked like a real angel.
But only Gu Tang knew how nasty this person’s personality truly was.
Those love letters and gifts full of admiration, when delivered in the presence of others, Jiang Huaisheng would accept them with a gentle refusal, but would then turn around and have him throw all those gifts in the trash.
When doing volunteer work at the orphanage or welfare home, Jiang Huaisheng would smile brightly, earning a good reputation, but when he turned to leave, he would mercilessly mock them.
Of course, this was done behind people’s backs, the children and the elderly didn’t hear it.
Gu Tang couldn’t understand this hypocritical performance, but after entering the Jiang family, he found that everyone in this world was so hypocritical.
His father used to shield him from the ugly world of adults, creating an ivory tower of truth, goodness, and beauty for him when he was young.
But after losing his father, at the age of eight, he was forced to discover that all of this was a lie. Adults were realistic and cold, and the same was true for those around the Jiang family.
Even though Gu Tang had favorable material conditions and enjoyed the same education as a young master like Jiang Huaisheng, he still felt out of place in this twisted environment.
He thought Jiang Huaisheng was hypocritical, cold, and cruel… Jiang Huaisheng said he was childish, naive, stupid, and weak.
Gu Tang actually agreed with this. With his parents’ unconditional protection, he could be the most courageous person, but the wings sheltering him were gone, and although reluctant, he had to obey the twisted adult rules of the pyramid.
Because without the protection of adults, he might become a little homeless person picking up trash, or even have his limbs broken by bad people and become a tool for begging.
He was very afraid of becoming like that, so he didn’t dare to run away.
And Jiang Huaisheng, as his peer, as the top of the pyramid, thrived in this kind of environment, the undisputed leader.
He was very hypocritical, but everyone thought he was a pure and noble gentleman, a high and mighty god.
Gu Tang quietly looked at Jiang Huaisheng. He had achieved his goal, pulling the high and mighty flower down to his level, but he wasn’t very happy. What could make him happy?
It definitely wasn’t becoming like his mother and stepfather, that would only make him sink deeper into the mire and the abyss.
Perhaps it was just because the location wasn’t right? After all, they were in a presidential suite that cost 188,888 a night, the environment for their first time was simply too good.
The environment of this luxurious hotel always reminded Gu Tang of the magnificent Jiang family’s old mansion. He couldn’t find inner peace in this kind of environment.
“Gu Tang, what are you thinking about again?”
Jiang Huaisheng noticed that Gu Tang had been absent-minded these two days, looking distracted.
Was he kidding? He was the one who had a fever and was sick, what was this guy’s attitude? He had bitten him a little hard on the first day, but he hadn’t bitten him after that.
He hated Gu Tang ignoring him like this. When staying by his side, he should be like a sunflower around the sun, always revolving around him!
“Nothing, I’m thinking that we’ve been delayed here for too long, it’s about time to go back.”
Gu Tang could speak English and French, and his Japanese was also quite good, not as proficient as Jiang Huaisheng’s, but normal spoken communication wasn’t a problem.
But he still didn’t like staying abroad, he was attached to the past.
Gu Tang said: “The report should be out soon, how about we go back after getting the report?”
Speaking of this, Jiang Huaisheng glanced at Gu Tang: “If the matching doesn’t work, you’re dead!”
“Mm.” As early as when he threatened Jiang Huaisheng in his madness, Gu Tang had made this preparation. He knew the young master also had the ability. If it really didn’t match, Gu Tang would accept his fate.
Fortunately, several hospitals sent the follow-up reports, and the results were all consistent: “The matching is very successful, blood type match, bone marrow match, perfect. If the surgery is performed, the success rate is as high as 95%/95%/98%.”
Hospitals wouldn’t easily say a 100% success rate. After all, it was surgery, and there was a possibility of failure. Above 90% was already very high.
Jiang Huaisheng looked at the reports, but he didn’t feel much ecstasy. After all, this was something he had traded his body and dignity for. He had endured humiliation for this.
After a while, he asked Gu Tang, who remained silent and calm: “Can the surgery be done sooner?”
The young master also awkwardly said: “The contract can continue, I will fulfill it.”
Gu Tang gently but firmly refused: “No.”
Just as Jiang Huaisheng understood him, he also understood Jiang Huaisheng very well. He said frankly: “Young Master, you have no credibility with me.”
He had seen Jiang Huaisheng change his face so many times. If he went to cooperate with Jiang Huaisheng for the surgery now, he would have no value to the latter.
“You know, Young Master, I’ve always been more trustworthy than you. If something unexpected happens to your body, I will cooperate with you for the surgery in time. Otherwise, the contract will be fulfilled for 4 years.”
He knew about Jiang Huaisheng’s physical condition because his stepfather, Jiang He, would disclose this information to him.
Jiang He valued Jiang Huaisheng very much. In order to make him as useful as possible, he had him memorize all of Jiang Huaisheng’s hobbies and the things he hated from the beginning.
But Gu Tang didn’t perform well when he was young. He didn’t like his stepfather and resented the Jiang family because his biological father had sacrificed himself to save Jiang Huaisheng’s parents.
Jiang He, as the adopted son of Jiang Huaisheng’s grandfather, also stole his mother. Jiang Huaisheng wasn’t the culprit, but he was the beneficiary, so Gu Tang resented him.
Even Ms. Wen Xinyi had said: “Your father was lucky. So many people wanted to die for the Jiang family, but they didn’t have the fortune. One life in exchange for a lifetime of glory and wealth.”
Even his former lover was like this, let alone those who surrounded the Jiang family. Jiang He was even more so, he would say in a contemptuous tone that Gu Tang’s biological father was just a cheap life.
But Jiang He was only the Jiang family’s adopted son, not a biological son with inheritance rights. He himself was an orphan supported by the Jiang family.
Because of his strong work ability, he entered Mingyuan Group, gained the trust of the old man, became the CEO, and even received a 1% stake.
Jiang He himself was once a “cheap life” in his own words, an orphan without parents.
This was also the source of Gu Tang’s pain. The education and material comforts he enjoyed were all exchanged for his beloved father’s life, but he never wanted these!
In some small ways, Gu Tang still persisted. He absolutely didn’t want to be a hypocritical person with a fake mask, full of lies and coldness. He didn’t want to go with the flow and become the kind of person he hated.
For ten years, every time Jiang Huaisheng went to the orphanage or nursing home, Gu Tang would follow. He wasn’t afraid of getting dirty or tired, and he put his heart and soul into making those lonely elderly and children happy.
Moreover, he would donate all the pocket money and rewards he received from Ms. Wen or Jiang He, without keeping a single cent!
He bought things for these elderly and children, such as food, clothes, and stationery.
He bought ordinary styles that he himself could have used before, in large quantities and cheaply, trying to make every child benefit.
He originally wanted to donate money, but Jiang Huaisheng told him the cruel reality: If he donated money, it might not actually reach the children, but would fall into the hands of dirty adults instead.
“This world is so dirty, filthy, and hypocritical.” This was what Jiang Huaisheng had taught him, and now Gu Tang was using it against him.
“Contracts are based on interests. Once you get what you want, you can turn your back. After the surgery is done, I won’t have any leverage to enforce the contract. Fulfilling the contract depends entirely on the other party’s conscience. I believe in my own conscience, but I don’t believe in yours.”
Gu Tang looked at Jiang Huaisheng with clear eyes and said calmly: “Jiang Huaisheng, you said it yourself, you have no conscience.”
The ten-year-old Jiang Huaisheng had once taught Gu Tang: “How much is conscience worth? A poor person’s conscience is worthless. I have no conscience, but everyone says I’m a kind and good person. You have a conscience, and I can turn you into a villain with one sentence.”
Jiang Huaisheng, who grew up reading “Thick Black Theory,” “The Emperor’s Mind,” and “Das Kapital,” looked down on Gu Tang, who grew up watching cartoons: “Only idiots like you believe in truth, goodness, and beauty. You’re ten years old and still believe in fairy tales. Watch less cartoons.”
Making deals with someone without a conscience, you had to stay rational and not let emotions get in the way. He wasn’t accusing, just objectively stating the facts.
Jiang Huaisheng clenched and unclenched his fingers. He tried to keep his face calm, but his words were squeezed out through gritted teeth: “Then don’t regret it!”
“I won’t regret it.” Gu Tang closed the book. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to fulfill the contract for now, but I want to go back to my hometown this summer vacation.”
“What are you going back for?”
Gu Tang said: “I’m going to sweep my father’s grave.”
He was supposed to go back earlier, but it was delayed for a few days because of Jiang Huaisheng’s matter. But it didn’t matter, his father would forgive him.
Jiang Huaisheng was silent for a moment: “I’ll have the housekeeper change the itinerary.”
He snorted coldly, concealing his concern for Gu Tang: “Don’t overthink it, I just think the contract isn’t very reasonable and should be revised. Four years is too long, it’s better to change it to a fixed number of times.”
