145: Chapter 145 Ultimate Cost-Effectiveness

Still feeling unsatisfied, Chen Sheng made a gesture to raise his leg again, scaring Brother Chao into taking a big step back in a hurry.

Chen Sheng put his foot down, but then, without warning, he pointed a finger at Brother Chao's nose and cursed, "The damn underwear you bought is bleeding color, don't you even know that? Did you really just buy it and put it on without even washing it?"

He had been worried sick all morning, was he not even allowed to vent?

To be honest, this was only because it was now; if it were back in the day, Chen Sheng would have already thrown a punch.

Who would have thought Brother Chao would say with complete justification, "Why would I wash new underwear? I've always bought them and worn them straight away!"

Chen Sheng: "..."

"Good grief, you've actually got the nerve to justify it."

Chen Sheng laughed.

He was so angry he laughed.

Smiling, he gave Brother Chao a thumbs up and said through gritted teeth, "Then why don't you buy better underwear? Nine-point-nine for ten pairs—damn, even disposable ones cost three yuan a pair now."

"You throw hundreds and hundreds away when you get a foot massage without even batting an eye, but you buy ten pairs of underwear for nine-point-nine? You're really riding a bicycle to the bar—saving where you should and spending where you should, huh?"

"Hehe~" Brother Chao also laughed.

It was a mixture of embarrassment and smugness.

Brother Chao walked over to Chen Sheng with a smile and threw an arm around him. "Don't be mad anymore. Come on, come drink with Buddy. Consider it a celebration that Buddy doesn't have to die."

Chen Sheng twisted his shoulder, and seeing he couldn't break free, he gave up struggling and retorted, "You brought this on yourself, damn it."

Brother Chao held up two fingers and said, "I admit that. I've learned my lesson, and I'll definitely change in the future. Enough talk, let's go drink."

"It's not early, it's not late, why drink now?" Chen Sheng refused haughtily.

"Don't worry about what to drink, just tell me if you're coming or not!"

"Fine, fine. I'll see this through to the end. I'll be merciful and give you this face today." Chen Sheng agreed, half-reluctantly.

It wasn't just Brother Chao; he also needed a drink, or rather, a moment of indulgence to smooth out the emotional rollercoaster he'd been on today—the great sadness and the great joy.

So, after paying the fees and getting the medicine, the two of them drove straight to Brother Chao's house.

Arriving at Brother Chao's, he immediately handed his phone to Chen Sheng and asked curiously, "Old Chen, order whatever you want to eat. Don't be polite to your brother today."

"What's this? A moment ago you were calling me foster father, and now you're calling yourself 'brother'?" Chen Sheng took the phone. He wouldn't be polite; he immediately ordered several hundred yuan worth of barbecue skewers on the delivery app, along with a crate of ice-cold beer.

On the other side, Brother Chao rushed into the bathroom, took a proper shower, applied the medicine to Comrade Xiao Chao, carefully changed into his 'battle robe,' and then shoved all the clothes, pants, and socks he had taken off into the washing machine.

This scene happened to be seen clearly by Chen Sheng, who was returning the phone.

At this moment, Chen Sheng felt nothing but disgust. "Fuck! You wash your underwear and socks together?"

"Yeah!" Brother Chao answered, still completely unapologetic.

Chen Sheng: "..."

Forgive him for being speechless at this moment.

It took a long while for him to digest the fact that Brother Chao mixed his clothes, pants, socks, and underwear together in the wash.

Chen Sheng gave him a thumbs up, truly impressed. "Seriously, if you didn't get infected, it would be because the Heavens were blind. No, the fact that you're only getting infected now? The Heavens are truly unfair."

Think of others who do nothing but good deeds, yet life still kicks them when they're down. Meanwhile, look at Wang Chao in front of him—he does everything from drinking and gambling to whoring and stealing. He engages in at least seven of the ten vices, and even then, it's just an infection.

The Heavens are truly blind.

However, Brother Chao wasn't convinced. "Hey! What kind of talk is that? What do you mean 'only getting infected now,' and that the Heavens are unfair?"

"Hehe~" Chen Sheng couldn't be bothered to answer that question. He pointed at the washing machine, speechless. "Didn't you hear the doctor at the hospital earlier? That nine-point-nine underwear of yours is made of synthetic fiber and uses industrial dyes. You're not throwing it away? What, are you planning to wash it and keep it as a souvenir?"

"A souvenir my ass." Brother Chao rolled his eyes at Chen Sheng. "So what if it's synthetic fiber? So what if it's industrial dye? It's not like I haven't worn synthetic fiber before. As for the industrial dye, won't it be fine once I wash it?"

"Besides, isn't nine-point-nine money? Nine-point-nine is enough for three days of breakfast."

Chen Sheng: "..."

It made so much sense that he couldn't even refute it.

"You..."

So, he gave Brother Chao a thumbs up again. "Fine! Just don't come looking for me next time this happens; I can't afford to be that embarrassed."

"Hehe!" Brother Chao took out a cigarette and handed one to Chen Sheng. "Thanks, Buddy!"

Chen Sheng took the cigarette and waved his hand impatiently. "Thanks for nothing! Just try to be a bit more reliable."

His gaze drifted to the washing machine, and after a moment of thought, Chen Sheng swallowed the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.

Forget it!

I'm tired!

Just let it all burn!

Seeing this, Brother Chao hurriedly took out a lighter to light Chen Sheng's cigarette. After Chen Sheng took a puff, Brother Chao spoke hesitantly, "Uh, Old Chen... no, Brother Sheng..."

Before Brother Chao could finish, Chen Sheng, unable to stand his dithering, interrupted impatiently, "Fuck! Brother Chao, are you sick? If you have something to say, say it; if you have to fart, just fart. Dragging it out like a woman—who are you trying to gross out?"

"Uh~" Brother Chao quickly raised his hands and nodded apologetically. "Yes, yes, yes, my bad."

After a pause, Brother Chao took a deep breath and said with a cheeky grin, "It's like this—you transferred five thousand to me earlier, right? I estimate it'll take me a few months to pay you back."

Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow. "First off, let me state that the money isn't urgent. Pay me back whenever you can. But honestly, it's not that I want to lecture you—you make several thousand a month, and I know you take on side jobs. I really don't understand how you managed to live like this."

"But what I can't understand most is this: you make thousands a month, you don't hesitate to wear name brands, and you shell out three to five hundred for a foot massage without blinking. Yet, you buy ten pairs of underwear for nine-point-nine—with free shipping! And when someone at the bar offers you a drink called 'Lonely Night,' you pretend not to get it. I'm really curious, what kind of mental state is that?"

He really didn't get it.

"Let's get this straight, don't give me that 'riding a bike to the bar, saving where you should and spending where you should' nonsense. I'm genuinely curious, tell your brother."

Brother Chao curled his lip. "A normal person's mental state. What's so hard to understand about that?"

Brother Chao said, "Look, it costs 555 yuan to buy a 'Lonely Night,' right?"

Chen Sheng nodded.

Brother Chao continued, "If that woman has any interest in me, the next step is going to a hotel, right?"

Chen Sheng nodded.

Brother Chao continued, "Women who can come to places like bars definitely won't choose budget hotels like Home Inn. At the very least, it's going to be a chain hotel costing three to five hundred a night. You have to admit that, right?"

Chen Sheng nodded again.

Seeing Chen Sheng nod, Brother Chao counted on his fingers. "Look, if I treat that woman to a 555-yuan 'Lonely Night' at the bar, it means I'll need to spend another three to five hundred on a hotel."

"Once we get to the hotel, whether we get straight to the point or not, we'll need a late-night snack afterwards. That'll cost at least one or two hundred. Add in condoms and all that other miscellaneous stuff, and it'll definitely be over a thousand."

"Which means if I agree to buy that 'Lonely Night,' and we continue, I'll have to spend at least over a thousand that day. But if I don't continue—I don't know the person, and I'm not just trying to get into her pants—why should I buy her a 'Lonely Night'? You tell me, isn't that the logic?"

"That's the logic." Chen Sheng nodded.

"See, you agree." Brother Chao clapped his hands together excitedly. "And then look—if I buy that 'Lonely Night' and we continue, it's equivalent to spending over a thousand for just one night of enjoyment, and if I want to continue later, I have to keep spending. But if I spend that same thousand on foot massages, I can go at least four or five times."

Brother Chao spread his hands. "Choosing between one time and four or five times, I'm definitely picking the latter. Plus, you don't know, those technicians are all talented. They talk sweetly, make you feel like you're bathed in a spring breeze, make you feel right at home, give you imperial treatment, full-automatic service..."

"What is cost-effectiveness? This is fucking cost-effectiveness."

Chen Sheng: "..."

He admitted he had been persuaded by Brother Chao.

Indeed, choosing between one time and four or five times, he would definitely choose the latter, not to mention the accompanying perks like the spring breeze feeling, feeling at home, imperial treatment, and full-automatic service...

Damn it~

This is the ultimate cost-effectiveness!