Chapter 88: What I Want to Know Is Everything!

"So Lobster just walked off like that?" Yang Meng and Hu Erleng stared at each other.

Yang Meng said, "I guess that counts as a rare kindred spirit?"

Hu Erleng blinked. "You don't think something might happen if those two get together? What kind of bed would be sturdy enough to hold them?"

Yang Meng gave him a look of utter disgust. "Man, your mind is filthy. Damn it, I'm done for now. You made that image way too vivid. There's no way I'm eating today; all I can think about is two giant blubberballs clinging to each other."

Hu Erleng shook his head. "You're not the only one who's sickened. I disgusted myself too."

Yang Meng climbed out of the pool. "I'm not soaking anymore. You ruined the mood!"

Hu Erleng followed after him. "So what are you going to do now?"

Yang Meng grinned. "Long Teng is getting his ass kicked upstairs. I want to see what he looks like after he's been punched into a pig face."

"There's something that fun going on? Wait for me!" Hu Erleng hurried out of the pool as well, rinsed off at the showers, changed his clothes, and prepared to go admire Long Teng's miserable state.

But just as they stepped out through the little door of the changing room, they saw Duan Bowen rushing toward them with a look of panic. "Mr. Yang, go, go now. If you don't leave, it'll be too late!"

"What do you mean?" Yang Meng was still confused when the main door outside the changing room was shoved open and a crowd surged in. At first Yang Meng jumped in alarm, but after a closer look he relaxed. They were all carrying cameras and other equipment. They were reporters.

"What is going on?" Yang Meng asked Duan Bowen.

Duan Bowen gave a bitter smile. "Here's what happened: one of our members is a reporter. He got in touch with the media while you were running, and the connections between the various outlets are all tangled together. Usually, once one of them knows, the rest all know soon after."

Yang Meng was still a little stunned. "When did reporters in our country start caring so much about non-mainstream sports? There are way too many of them here."

This wasn't really a complaint. Sports reporters in the country were always a beat slow. Aside from sports expected to win championships, almost nothing else ever drew much attention. Usually, only after an athlete had already achieved something would a tiny blurb appear in the newspaper.

Duan Bowen said, "Mr. Yang, they probably aren't here because of your running."

Yang Meng finally understood. Great. They were here because of those car thieves again.

These reporters had failed to corner him for the past two days, and now they had finally found their chance.

Sure enough, once the reporters saw Yang Meng appear, they surrounded him at once with microphones and cameras.

"Mr. Yang, I'm a reporter from the Handong Evening News. We have a few questions for you."

"I'm from the Handong Times. Please answer my questions."

"I'm with Handong Television..."

"I'm from Pet Lovers' Home..."

Yang Meng scratched his head. What was all this? Pet Lovers' Home? Why did something so strange seem to have mixed in?

Duan Bowen spread his hands. "I'm sorry, everyone. This is a members-only fitness club. Your actions are already interfering with our members' privacy. Please leave. Security?"

A female reporter stepped forward. "Secretary Duan! You remember me, don't you?"

Duan Bowen frowned. "Reporter Chen? Why are you here?"

The woman smiled. "I can't help it. The decision Mr. Yang made during this period has stirred up too much controversy. Our director knows that I have a good personal relationship with you and the Long family group, so he handed me this difficult assignment. You wouldn't put me in an impossible position, would you?"

She spoke with a gentle smile and a calm tone, yet somehow she gave Duan Bowen a sense that he could not refuse her.

Seeing Duan Bowen at a loss, Yang Meng asked curiously, "Who is she? Why does she look kind of familiar?"

Duan Bowen lowered his voice. "Brother Yang, don't you watch television? Her name is Chen Yu, and she's one of Handong Television's top stars. She's absolutely a headache."

"A headache? What do you mean?"

Duan Bowen spoke even more quietly. "Handong Television has a ridiculously high administrative rank. Chen Yu went from intern reporter to star anchor in just six years. Do you really think there wasn't any trickery behind that?"

After hearing this, Yang Meng suddenly understood, then curled his lip. "What does that have to do with me? If she dares to provoke me, I'll still hammer her."

Duan Bowen gave a helpless laugh. "Brother Yang, I'd love to be as free and easy as you. People like us in business can't afford to offend them. Brother Yang, maybe you could just take a look..."

Yang Meng patted Duan Bowen on the shoulder. "Fine. I'll give you face today and won't beat them up. I'm leaving. I'll come back and look for you all to have some fun later. Right, keep an eye on Long Teng for me. Twenty rounds a day. Don't let him slack off. Hu Erleng, you stay with Secretary Duan. Don't let them find out the barbecue place has anything to do with me, or it'll hurt business."

After arranging everything, Yang Meng picked up his cycling bag and motorcycle helmet from a nearby table and headed out. "Move aside, move aside. You're blocking my way!"

But Chen Yu blocked his path without the slightest fear. "We're reporters. You have to accept my interview."

Yang Meng curled his lip. "Just because you're a reporter, I have to answer your questions? Who made that rule?"

Chen Yu shot back, unfazed. "The public has a right to know!"

Yang Meng gave a cold laugh. "What does that have to do with me? You're reporters, not police. What right do you have to restrict my personal freedom and make trouble for my normal life? All of you, step aside. Stop bothering me!"

Chen Yu immediately motioned to the cameraman to turn the lens toward Yang Meng. "Sir, many of those young people are still minors. Why won't you give them a chance to reform? In our harmonious society, doesn't your lack of tolerance toward others go against the values of harmony?"

Yang Meng stopped and looked at her. "Oh? Trying to slap a label on me the moment you open your mouth? Aren't you a reporter? Why don't you first go find out who the victim in this case is? Listening to you, I don't sound like the victim at all. I sound more like some utterly unforgivable criminal!"

Chen Yu said, "They're only a group of young people. Young people inevitably make mistakes. You can't let them make one mistake and carry an indelible stain for the rest of their lives! That's unfair to them. How do you know they won't become pillars of the nation in the future?"

Yang Meng asked, "Then how do you know they won't keep committing crimes in the future? You like playing saint, do you? Fine. I can choose not to pursue their responsibility, but you'll need to write a formal statement right now: if any of those people commit any crime in the future, you'll take legal responsibility for it. As long as you sign that statement, I'll drop the matter entirely. Come on, all these reporters here can serve as witnesses. As long as this female reporter, whose name I don't even know, dares to sign such a document, we'll have a lawyer notarize it on the spot, and then I won't pursue those criminal suspects. How about it, you reporter with the name I don't know? If you dare sign the agreement, I dare not to pursue them. Come on."

Seeing everyone staring at her, Chen Yu hurriedly said, "Why should I sign such an agreement? How could I possibly be responsible for the rest of their lives?"

Yang Meng smiled. "Weren't you just so confident they would become pillars of the nation? Why change your tune so fast? You're an adult, aren't you? You should be responsible for your own words and actions. If you can't even do that, what kind of reporter are you? You can't do anything but spout nonsense all day? In that case, you might as well go be a tabloid stalker."

"You..." Chen Yu glared at Yang Meng.

Yang Meng remained unruffled. "Me? You open your mouth and plant yourself on the moral high ground, but being a saint with your mouth isn't enough. You need to actually do something. You like standing on the moral high ground and pointing fingers at others, and that's fine. Just don't do it to me. I don't buy it."

Chen Yu stared at Yang Meng, her eyes practically spitting fire. Her backing was so strong that wherever she went, people usually adored and indulged her. Yet today Yang Meng had actually driven her into such a corner? Her eyes rolled as she suddenly thought of something.

"Mr. Yang," she said, "some people say you're being so relentless because you want to squeeze more compensation out of those young people's families. Some people put it very harshly, saying you're doing this so you can extort money later on, and lots of people agree with that. As far as I know, you came from a rural background and your family wasn't very well off. You worked in Handong City for many years, and some time ago you were even delivering takeout. So how did you suddenly end up with such a luxury motorcycle? Can you explain that to everyone?"

Yang Meng had been about to leave, but at her words he stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean? Because I delivered takeout, I shouldn't be riding a good bike?"

Chen Yu said, "I'm just curious about your income."

A smile still hung on Yang Meng's face, but it had turned cold. "Reporter, for all that you're a reporter, don't you know income is private information? Hmm. I suppose that's understandable. Spying on other people's privacy is your line of work. What is it? You don't want that saintly image anymore? What I ride has nothing to do with you. If there's a problem with my income, that's for the police to handle. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Who do you think you are?"

Seeing Yang Meng's expression darken, Duan Bowen hurriedly stepped forward. "On this point, I need to explain. Mr. Yang is now the chief instructor of the combat division of our Dragon Charm Fitness Club. As everyone knows, our combat division has produced several martial arts champions, and Mr. Yang is our specially appointed head coach. As for Mr. Yang's salary, it's not convenient to make it public at the moment. I can only tell you this: with his income, a motorcycle like that is no financial burden at all, and he certainly doesn't need to extort money from anyone. Our Long family group will never miss the chance to recognize talent."

Seeing Duan Bowen step in to speak for Yang Meng, Chen Yu frowned. She was just about to continue questioning when Yang Meng cut her off directly.

"Reporter, you've asked me enough questions. Now it's my turn, isn't it?"

Chen Yu gave a contemptuous smile. "What do you want to ask?"

Yang Meng raised a finger and tapped it against Chen Yu's forehead.

"What I want to know is everything."