Free Web NovelChapter 172: Chapter 172: Finding Out
KNOCK KNOCK. Ge Ba knocked on the door and waited until he heard a lazy "Come in" before opening it.
Once inside, he couldn’t see anyone behind the desk—just a pair of large feet propped up on it.
This was a familiar sight for Ge Ba. He simply walked around the desk to Wu Sheng, who was slumped in his chair asleep, a hat pulled over his face.
"Wu Sheng, the list of participants for the training has been submitted."
"Just leave it," Wu Sheng’s lazy voice drifted out from under the hat.
Ge Ba set it down but didn’t leave. "Wu Sheng, the higher-ups are getting impatient. You need to review this as soon as possible."
"What’s there to look at? It’s all voluntary," Wu Sheng’s lazy voice drifted out again.
A hint of curiosity flickered in Ge Ba’s eyes. "Wu Sheng, did something happen? You were in such a good mood a few days ago. Why are you back to being like this?"
To be fair, Wu Sheng was rarely wide-awake. Most of the time, he was just plain lazy.
He’d finally shown some enthusiasm for a few days, but now, all of a sudden, that fire had gone out.
And this time, it seemed serious.
It was beyond his usual listlessness. There was a sense of utter dejection about him.
"What could have happened? I’ve been contemplating the meaning of life, you know. Engaging in some reflection and self-improvement."
Wu Sheng was telling the truth, more or less. He just left out the part about getting his heart broken as some sort of karmic retribution.
Ge Ba listened. "...And did you come to any conclusions?"
"I did." Wu Sheng finally took off his hat, pulled his feet off the desk, and sat up straight. "Let me see the list."
These past couple of days... well, it wasn’t like Wu Sheng’s world had ended or his heart had turned to ash, but it sure as hell didn’t feel good.
’The girl I’d finally fallen for was married. Tsk, tsk...’
Wu Sheng slowly flipped open the file. "You can go. I’ll be done with this in a bit..."
Wu Sheng’s words trailed off. He stared at the file in front of him, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
Ge Ba glanced over curiously. "What is it?"
"It’s nothing. I’m going to take a look. You can head out," Wu Sheng said, closing the file.
"Alright." Ge Ba didn’t press the issue and turned to leave.
After closing the door, Ge Ba became lost in thought. ’Tang Yuanxiao... Who is he?’
Tang Yuanxiao was someone who shouldn’t have been on that list.
Wu Sheng flipped through all the documents, his eyes finally landing on one name again: Tang Yuanxiao.
’He married such a wonderful woman, yet he dares to be so careless with his life...’ Wu Sheng sat up straight, picked up the phone on his desk, and made a call.
"Hello, I’m looking for Tang Yuanxiao."
"...He’s not there? On a business trip?"
"If not, then where is he? Military training? At what school?"
Upon hearing the name of the school, Wu Sheng scoffed. "This is Wu Sheng, Head Captain of the Research Team. Tell Tang Yuanxiao to come see me." freewebnoveℓ.com
Wu Sheng hung up. Two hours later, Tang Yuanxiao arrived.
Hearing a knock on the door, Wu Sheng called out, "Come in."
Tang Yuanxiao entered, his expression calm.
He had known what this was about the moment he got the summons.
Sure enough, Wu Sheng cut right to the chase, tapping the file on his desk. "You want to join the training?"
"Yes."
"Do you really think it’s appropriate for you to go, given your circumstances?" Wu Sheng gestured to a stack of files beside him. "I’ve already pulled your application."
"Sir... didn’t you go before as well?" Tang Yuanxiao met Wu Sheng’s gaze directly. "I’ll come back safely, just like you did."
Wu Sheng leaned back in his chair, giving Tang Yuanxiao a long look.
"I’m not like you. I don’t have a wife and kids."
Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing.
"You’d better think this through," Wu Sheng added, staring directly at Tang Yuanxiao.
Tang Yuanxiao met his gaze without flinching. "I have thought it through. I’m going."
Wu Sheng looked away, not bothering to look at Tang Yuanxiao any longer.
Tang Yuanxiao stood there for a moment. When it was clear Wu Sheng had nothing more to say, he gave a silent salute and excused himself.
Wu Sheng exhaled, then exhaled again. Finally, with a sigh, he picked up the phone and made another call.
This time, he called his supervisor.
"...Look, I know this isn’t technically my business, but I have to ask: what’s the deal with Tang Yuanxiao? Did his wife and kids even agree to let him go to this training?"
The supervisor sighed internally the moment he heard Wu Sheng’s voice. By the time Wu Sheng finished speaking, his expression was one of pure helplessness.
"I’ve already spoken to him about it, but he won’t listen..." the supervisor explained.
"He’d be the first. We’ve never had a man with a wife and kids join this training. If he wants to go, fine, but he needs his wife and kids to personally give their consent. Otherwise, it’s a no-go."
Wu Sheng had really had enough.
He had always been the type to speak his mind, never one to beat around the bush, and he didn’t think he was out of line now.
Even if this didn’t involve Su Li, he would have intervened for anyone else in this situation. The fact that it *did* involve Su Li made it all the more personal.
’Even though I’ve resolved to get over her,’ he thought, ’we know each other. We’re friends, aren’t we?’
"Supervisor, I’ll be waiting for your reply." Wu Sheng was about to hang up.
"Wait..." The supervisor closed his eyes and stopped him. "Actually... actually, Tang Yuanxiao is already divorced. It’s just not public yet..."
Since Wu Sheng had brought it up, the supervisor had no choice but to explain the situation.
The supervisor quickly explained the circumstances.
But Wu Sheng didn’t hear a word he said after that.
His mind was filled with just four words: Tang Yuanxiao is divorced.
’Tang Yuanxiao’s wife is Su Li. So if Tang Yuanxiao is divorced... that means Su Li is divorced too!’
’Su Li is divorced!’
Wu Sheng confirmed it with the supervisor again and again, but the answer was always the same.
The supervisor, trying to minimize the impact of the divorce on Tang Yuanxiao’s career, tried to put in a few good words for him.
But Wu Sheng wasn’t listening.
He didn’t even remember hanging up the phone.
After the call ended, Wu Sheng sat there in a daze for a long time, his expression impossible to describe.
’The girl I’d finally fallen for was married. I’d already mourned it, went through a whole round of self-reflection, and decided it was my karmic comeuppance.’
’I’d gritted my teeth and resolved to get over her.’
’After all that suffering, after forcing back the tears and preparing to move on, for fuck’s sake, now I find out Su Li’s divorced?’
Wu Sheng didn’t even know how to describe what he was feeling.
His heart was pounding in his chest as he was about to confess, only to find out she was married. He was practically coughing up blood trying to forget her, only to find out she was divorced...
’That bastard Fate really has it in for me! It’s doing this on purpose!’
"You damn bastard Fate!" Wu Sheng roared, gritting his teeth in a fit of rage.
"Son of a bitch!" After one last curse, Wu Sheng shot out of his office like a gust of wind.
"Boss, where are you going?"
"Boss, is it an emergency?"
"What’s with the boss?"
"What’s going on?"
Everyone he passed on the way out asked in a nervous flurry.
"It’s nothing!" Wu Sheng’s reply echoed back to them after he was already far down the hall.
"If it’s nothing, then why’s the boss running like that?"
They all looked at each other, completely baffled.
Wu Sheng had no time for their confusion or their questions.
He jumped in his car, which shot off at top speed.
