Chapter 80: My Eldest Uncle Is Coming

“It looks like we’ll need to add a few more machines,” Liu Wentao remarked, gazing at the crowd that had nearly filled the room, a hint of emotion in his voice.

Wu Dongjun nodded, unable to conceal the joy in his eyes. He felt genuinely grateful for the decision he had made back then.

“The last time we transferred the clothing market storefront, we made over seventy thousand. Add the original fifty thousand, and we’ve got more than a hundred and twenty thousand. Should we…” Zhao Haidong hesitated as he spoke, because when they bought the computers, this money had been left out of the calculations. Now that Wu Dongjun had joined them, if they invested this sum, allocating shares would become complicated.

Their shares had already been divided: Zhang Ye held forty percent, the other three had twenty percent each. Unless Wu Dongjun could invest another sum, recalculating the shares would be messy. More importantly, it would strain their relationships.

“I have a relative in the coal business—I can borrow from him!” Wu Dongjun, quick-witted as ever, caught the key point right away and spoke up.

And so, the plan to add more computers was set in motion.

The internet café’s popularity far exceeded their expectations. Although they had anticipated it, the surge of people still stunned them. It was only ** o’clock, yet the small room was already so crowded that there was barely space to stand. Every eye was fixed on the screens, watching the games, the battles, and the novel gameplay in titles they had never seen or played before, filled with anticipation.

With the flood of customers came inevitable conflicts. They were all young men, a little hot-tempered. Yet whenever Liu Wentao strode over with an intimidating presence, even the rowdiest fell silent. Liu Wentao’s reputation for getting into fights made these youths wary of showing any temper.

Many customers smoked inside; packed together, the air grew thick and unpleasant. At times like this, Zhang Ye’s earlier decision to design windows in the space proved its worth. Large ceiling fans spun overhead, and the windows were wide open, letting the foul air escape.

The effect was limited, but better than nothing. The space was simply too small for proper ventilation; since they’d only just opened, they had to make do.

Zhang Ye watched for a while from outside. Seeing everything progress smoothly, he gave a word of instruction to Wu Dongjun, who was sweating profusely nearby, then slipped into the small private room reserved for himself.

In recent days, he’d been busy, and after getting used to typing on the computer, handwriting felt awkward; he hadn’t written anything for several days. This habit was like an addiction—he missed it terribly if he went too long without writing.

At noon, when he stepped out, the café was still bustling. Many young patrons skipped lunch, clinging to their computers, unwilling to leave. Even when their families called them home for meals, they responded impatiently, then quickly immersed themselves back in the games.

This situation conflicted with Zhang Ye’s earlier expectations. It wasn’t that he minded their obsession—while he didn’t see himself as a ruthless businessman, he was happy to profit from their enthusiasm. But if only a few hogged the machines while others could only watch, it undermined the café’s promotional effect.

So Zhang Ye hurried to find Liu Wentao and discussed limiting each person’s gaming time to one or two hours, then felt reassured enough to return home.

“How was business today?” His mother looked especially radiant that day; the anxiety of opening the shop had vanished, replaced by lively energy.

“A bit better than yesterday, but not by much,” Liu Meiju laughed, busy washing vegetables and preparing food. Yesterday, she’d decided to hire a sales assistant, and by morning had found someone, giving her time to cook at home.

The new hire lived near Zhang Ye’s aunt, not far from Liu Wentao’s house. She’d left school after junior high and worked as a sales assistant for three years before recently returning. Upon hearing that Zhang Ye’s family was hiring, she immediately took the job. She was a gifted talker; Zhang Ye considered himself eloquent, but he had to admit defeat beside her.

Zhang Ye joined in, helping to pick vegetables. “Why are you so happy then?”

“Because your uncle and his family are coming! It’s all settled—they’ll gather for dinner at Ju Yue Pavilion in three days, and your younger uncle, aunt, and the whole family will be there. It’s been years since everyone got together like this.” Zhang Ye’s eldest uncle, Liu Boqing, had once worked at the Lihua County Fertilizer Factory, rising to the post of workshop supervisor. Dissatisfied with the factory’s treatment, he had resolutely ventured into business.

The early days were tough, and the family looked down on him. Who would have thought that after a year his restaurant business in Xijiang Province would take off, and he settled there. Busy with work, he hadn’t returned home for New Year in years.

“Will Auntie and Uncle come too?” Zhang Ye muttered under his breath.

In **, Lihua County had social clubs. At that time, Zhang Ye’s uncle, Shen Kaixing, was a minor leader in one. He was capable, using some shady means to partner in a nightclub, earning tens of thousands a month—a real success.

Back then, he wielded considerable influence at home; even in front of the uncle who was now a workshop supervisor at the state-run fertilizer plant, he was blunt and boastful. He’d often say, “A workshop supervisor is nothing—what you make in a year doesn’t equal one of my months!” He loved to flaunt stories of drinking and dining with powerful people.

After several clashes, Zhang Ye’s tough uncle couldn’t stand it and, in a burst of anger, quit his job to go into business. Zhang Ye was young, but remembered his uncle’s arrogant manner well.

If he didn’t respect the most accomplished uncle, he had even less regard for Zhang Ye’s father, Zhang Haiguan, who earned a modest salary. Mixing with the club, he picked up some rough habits. Honest Zhang Haiguan rarely spoke, but young Zhang Ye always jumped up to defend his father, often shouting and spitting at his uncle. His uncle didn’t care, even beat Zhang Ye with willow branches, leaving his backside bruised and marked.

Later, during the end-of-year crackdown, the club fell apart—almost wiped out. His uncle escaped prison thanks to connections, but lost all his money.

That year, the eldest uncle’s business venture failed. Though he lost his former glory, his arrogance stayed, and his words stung, souring the New Year for everyone. The next year, the eldest uncle made some money in business, and the uncle shamelessly rushed off to Xijiang, claiming he was there to help, but really just to freeload.