"He Teng, everything you have now, was a gift from the Lan and Gu Families, simply because you once saved my Brother Lan Li! Everything you possess is just due to the merit of saving my Brother Lan Li’s life. Otherwise, you, He Teng, would still be a small squad leader! You might even be a small squad leader for the rest of your life!"
"When did it become your place to speak about the affairs of the military?" It had to be admitted, Gu En’s words trampled a person’s dignity underfoot, causing He Teng to seethe slightly. However, he didn’t lash out at the phone. Just as he was about to retort, Gu En spoke before he could.
"He Teng, do you understand? You are nothing but a dog to our Lan and Gu Families! If we tell you to rise, you rise. If we tell you to fall, you fall. All that you have, was given by our Lan and Gu Families! You obtained your achievements today because we were generous. But how can you be so ungrateful! So unaware of your indebtedness!"
With this, Gu En spat distastefully at the phone and continued, "Feel like your captain’s position isn’t enough? Still wanting to climb higher? So you’ve used your sister, He Zhilan! Trying to catapult He Zhilan into my circle, exalting your wild hen into a phoenix? Hoping that He Zhilan’s high marriage to a noble family will guarantee your prosperous career, He Teng? Don’t forget, even if you’re respectfully addressed as Captain He, you’re still nothing but a peasant with no background. No matter how beautiful He Zhilan is, she’s still but a rustic village girl! A wild hen can’t fly up to a phoenix tree, so don’t entertain such absurd fantasies."
Gu En’s words furrowed the usually good-tempered He Teng’s brow. In terms of verbal sparring, He Teng indeed was no match for Gu En, yet, if Gu En was physically by his side, he wasn’t confident he could resist the impulse to punch him.
"He Teng, listen, if I see He Zhilan at my grandpa’s birthday banquet today, believe it or not, I’ll kill her!" Gu En’s words became even more ominous, "Don’t think that by borrowing a stylish dress from another man and putting on a little makeup, she can play princess! What does the He Family have for pertaining to my Grandfather Gu’s birthday banquet? Insisting on scheming to have a man bring her to the Gu Family’s banquet? What, wanting to seize this great opportunity to climb on someone’s coattails, to find a backer whom you, He Teng, approve of, to secure your future success? Let me tell you, with Zhilan’s character, she’s only material for men to play with. She’s still deluded into thinking she can marry into a rich family as a lawful wife?"
Before He Teng could respond, Gu En hung up.
He Teng held onto the receiver for a while, stunned. His face darkened, and his breathing noticeably grew more rapid. He’d guessed that Gu En had called to humiliate him because He Zhilan was going to attend Old Master Gu’s birthday banquet, which irked the He Zhilan-hating Gu En.
Gu En must have felt completely powerless to stop it, hence why he called to vent his anger by insulting him.
But after his anger, He Teng felt somewhat powerless.
Hadn’t it been long since Zhilan couldn’t suppress her ambition again? That ambition had started to stir once more?
Or had all of these just been lies spun by a hysterical Gu En?
At noon, Wang Bingbing and Huang Cai were continuing their part-time work in the canteen. After lunch, only He Zhilan, Jiang Biyun, and Chen Xiting returned to the dormitory.