At noon the next day, outside the state-owned restaurant.
Gu Hai parked his bicycle, straightened his back, and walked in confidently.
Today, he was wearing the clothes and shoes Su Yun had given him. On his wrist was the watch she had gifted him. His hair had even been carefully styled with pomade. He looked clean, fresh, and strikingly handsome.
Along the way, quite a few young women and married ladies couldn't help but glance at him repeatedly.
As soon as he entered, Gu Hai spotted Wang Yang sitting in a corner.
Wang Yang had clearly dressed up as well—his shirt and trousers were neat and crisp, giving him an air of elegance. His hair was carefully styled, and he sat there with a slightly nervous expression, staring intently at the entrance, his eyes full of anticipation.
Gu Hai fixed his gaze on him and walked straight over, blocking his line of sight.
Wang Yang looked up in confusion. When he saw Gu Hai, he was surprised.
"Gu Hai? You're here to eat too?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the empty seats nearby, subtly hinting that Gu Hai should sit elsewhere and not interfere.
Gu Hai pretended not to understand. He sat down directly across from him, held his head high, and asked:
"Do you know who I am?"
Wang Yang: "???"
What was this? Had Gu Hai changed his name?
He hadn't heard anything about that.
Still puzzled, he politely asked, "Who are you?"
Gu Hai replied firmly and proudly:
"I'm Su Yun's boyfriend."
Wang Yang: "…"
Gu Hai continued, "I came here today to tell you that Su Yun already has a boyfriend. You may be excellent, but I will not give her up to you. You should give up on this idea."
"And also, Comrade Wang Yang, Director Yuan doesn't know about our relationship yet. Please keep this a secret and don't tell anyone."
"Lastly, you have good taste—but you came too late."
After saying this, Gu Hai stood up and left without waiting for Wang Yang's reaction.
Because he understood people like Wang Yang—children of high-ranking officials. Though their personalities might differ, they all had a certain pride. They would never stoop to competing for someone else's partner.
Gu Hai was confident his words would make Wang Yang back off—and that he wouldn't spread the matter.
And indeed, he had calculated correctly.
Wang Yang sat there stunned, a trace of regret rising in his heart. He hadn't expected that Su Yun was already in a relationship with Gu Hai. No wonder Gu Hai had stepped forward to defend her that day.
He was too foolish—he should have noticed earlier!
Now, not only had he lost the chance, but he had also been humiliated by her boyfriend in person.
Feeling extremely embarrassed, Wang Yang lost all appetite. He didn't even eat lunch and rode straight back to the subdistrict office.
But as soon as he arrived, he saw Gu Hai parking his bicycle at the entrance—acting as if nothing had happened—and even greeting him cheerfully:
"Deputy Director Wang, have you had lunch?"
Wang Yang: "…"
He really wanted to slap that smug, grinning face!
What was there to be so proud of?
"Hmph!"
Wang Yang ignored him and strode into the office.
Gu Hai followed shortly after and found Director Xu, who was in charge of housing matters, and explained his purpose.
Inside the office, Director Xu invited him to sit and poured him a cup of hot water.
"Xiao Hai, the courtyard you're currently living in does belong to the subdistrict office. If you want to buy it, that can be arranged. After all, you're the child of a martyr, so there are policy benefits for you."
Holding his teacup, he continued:
"But the price… it'll be at least one thousand yuan. If you can afford it, I can process the transfer for you anytime."
Gu Hai smiled and said, half-truthfully:
"Uncle Xu, to be honest, I've borrowed some money from Uncle Sun and others. I'll be turning twenty in a few months, and it's time for me to start thinking about marriage. But my family doesn't even have a proper house. Uncle Sun kindly insisted on lending me money so I could buy one first."
"I couldn't refuse his kindness, so I came to ask you about it."
Hearing this, Director Xu had no doubts and nodded.
"That makes sense. You're at the age to get married. Even though your father passed away early, and your mother… well, you still have us elders. If you ever run into difficulties, just come to us."
Gu Hai didn't stand on ceremony and replied:
"Alright, Uncle Xu. I'll remember that. If I really need help, I'll definitely come to you."
"Then please hold the house for me. I'll come back in a couple of days to complete the transfer."
Director Xu agreed readily.
"No problem. If it were someone else, I wouldn't help so easily—but for you, everything is negotiable."
After all, it was Director Xu who had originally approved Gu Hai to live in that courtyard, so naturally, he wouldn't make things difficult for him.
After settling the housing matter, Gu Hai rode his bicycle to the recycling station. But just as he arrived, Gouzi called out to him.
Gouzi had clearly run all the way there, panting heavily as he bent over, clutching his waist.
"Brother Hai! Zhou Ziyang from the Public Security Bureau came by just now. He said you should go there immediately!"
Zhou Ziyang?
Gu Hai's eyes lit up.
No need to guess—Zhou Ziyang must be looking for him about the camera and television!
Gu Hai was about to leave when he noticed Gouzi's face. He braked and asked:
"Gouzi, what happened to your face? Did you get into a fight?"
Gouzi quickly covered his face and replied awkwardly:
"It's nothing… I just didn't check the almanac before going out yesterday and ran into a wall."
There was no way he was going to admit he had been beaten up by a crowd of elderly people and women—that would be far too embarrassing!
Gu Hai didn't believe him, but still said seriously:
"Hurry back. Don't let Su Yun see you like this."
Otherwise, he'd have to come up with excuses again to explain things and clear his name—it would be too troublesome.
With that, Gu Hai rode off.
Left behind, Gouzi scratched his head in confusion.
What did that mean? Was Brother Hai嫌弃 him?
---
Gu Hai brought the camera and television to the Public Security Bureau to meet Zhou Ziyang.
After informing his colleagues, Zhou Ziyang took Gu Hai to his dormitory.
At that time, most people were at work, so the dorm building was nearly empty.
As soon as they entered, Gu Hai saw a tall man in his mid-twenties standing by the window. Though dressed in ordinary civilian clothes, his posture was exceptionally straight—clearly someone with a military background.
Zhou Ziyang closed the door and said:
"This is the buyer of the digital camera—my old comrade-in-arms."
The man extended his hand. There were thick calluses on his palm, especially around the tiger's mouth—clearly from handling firearms frequently.
"Hello. I'm Chu Chengsong, a criminal investigator from Haicheng."
Gu Hai shook his hand firmly. Both of their palms were rough, but neither minded.
"I'm Gu Hai."
Chu Chengsong sized Gu Hai up with sharp, perceptive eyes. Seeing that Gu Hai was no shorter than himself and showed no sign of nervousness, he spoke in a professional tone:
"Comrade Gu, where did you obtain this digital camera? Is the source legitimate?"
Gu Hai was momentarily stunned, not expecting to be interrogated right away.
Zhou Ziyang quickly stepped in to smooth things over:
"Old Chu, Gu Hai is the son of our former Public Security Bureau chief—a martyr's child. He's absolutely reliable."
The implication was clear: don't treat him like a suspect.
Gu Hai also added at the right moment:
"Comrade Chu, my source is definitely legitimate—but I can't disclose it. Otherwise, how would I continue doing this business?"