Assistant Architect

Chapter 22: Fight

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Gu Yu was also afraid of falling asleep, so he chose to keep himself busy before dinner. He washed up briefly in the restroom then went downstairs, leaving the collapsed Zhang Siyi on the floor. Not long after, he called Zhang Siyi. He was so tired he had lost his appetite. If Gu Yu hadn’t called him, he probably would have been able to sleep all night. On tired wobbly legs, Zhang Siyi got up and met Gu Yu downstairs.

Because of his disappointment during lunch, he was mentally preparing himself for more cheap snacks while walking down the stairs. He still felt bitter about his biscuit and cheap hotel.

They left the hotel and Zhang Siyi followed Gu Yu from behind. Gu Yu was holding his phone and looking at it periodically, following a map. Once they got to their destination, Zhang Siyi was shocked. It really was a rinky-dinky shack! The cheapskate!

However, despite its outward appearance it was a sand tea noodle restaurant. The place was full of customers – a good sign. Rich aroma and freshness perforated the air revitalizing his spirit.

After waiting for less than a minute, the they sat at the vacant table. Gu Yu ordered a lot of things; cuttlefish, pork belly, fish tofu, fresh shrimp, and beef tenderloin to name a few and the price is not expensive. He can hardly believe how good it tastes! He used to go to a Xiamen specialty restaurant for sand tea noodles in Haicheng but the bowl of noodles there can’t compare with the bowl in front of him!

As Zhang Siyi eats the bowl of noodles, he can only think of the flavor permeating his senses. The flavor of peanut butter and spicy taste are melded together. So good! Fireworks are exploding in his brain.

“Is it delicious?” Gu Yu asked.

“uhm”, he mumbles with noodles in his mouth.” He doesn’t know if it’s because he is so tired and hungry or not, but the food is the best thing he has ever tasted. He can’t stop himself from shoveling the food into his mouth nonstop. He has little time to talk or even breath. At the moment he is tasting the definition of the word “delicious” and will be able to go to heaven!

“Ha ha……”

Hearing the laughter of Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi looked up with a few pieces of noodle handing out of his mouth and saw Gu Yu looking at him with a smile. Under the dim light of the old shop, A pair of beautiful eyes like black glass, were shining and full of warmth.

Zhang Si Yi stared at Gu Yu stunned. Gu Yu lowered his eyes exposing his long lashes and looked at his bowl of noodles. While stirring the contents with his chopsticks he spoke: “This store is very famous in the city of Z.”

He swallowed the twice chewed, squid eggs and coughed then asked, “Have you been here?”

Gu Yu said: “No, I checked it last night.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

So, the information that Gu Yu asked when he slept last night was a place where he could take Zhang Siyi to dinner. Zhang Siyi didn’t know what to say. For a moment, he felt that the tiredness of suffering during the day turned to dust and scattered in the breeze. Is it over? Zhang Siyi isn’t going to have Stockholm syndrome, anymore is he? Gu Yu was so mean to him this morning on the plane. He said one thing, but his actions are totally different now.

Because of Gu Yu frequent teasing, in his mind Zhang Siyi doesn’t want to acknowledge Gu Yu at all. But the care he experienced coming to this restaurant with Gu Yu tested his resolve. The taste of soup has dispelled any negative feelings. He felt so peaceful and relaxed that he couldn’t help letting his heart grow in warmth.

Gu Yu ate for a while and asked him: “Do you have any thoughts on the venue today?”

If Gu Yu had asked him this question earlier before eating, Zhang Siyi would have probably had one word to describe his thoughts; tired. Feeling invigorated by the sugar-coated sand tea noodles, Zhang Siyi finally turned on his tired brain: “I feel the environment is very bad.”

Even though it’s the same city, the old Town of Z City is so prosperous, but the new district is so desolate and defeated. The economical difference was very apparent between the parts of the city. Here in the city center, wealthy people can sojourn on safe roads, eat great food like the tea noodles and stroll around at the night market. Across the way, the people on the other side of town are wrapped in quilts, dark and muddy hoping tomorrow brings a sunny day.

The government turned the land into a new area. For those who live there, it may be redemption. However, the method of saving them now requires a considerable amount of thought. Zhang Siyi suddenly understood the feeling of heaviness of the afternoon was. It was a sense of responsibility. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help but stir the noodle soup and sighed in his heart.

Gu Yu just asked casually. He didn’t expect him to have a thoughtful answer, and then asked: “When you came, did you find that the road is blocked?” Zhang Siyi shook his head. When he came, he wasn’t really paying attention to the flow of traffic.

Gu Xiao Road: “Z City’s current population is 5 million people. There are 250,000 private cars, per capita.” He put a little tea on his finger and drew two circles on the table. “Here we are now, the old town and that circle is the railway station, the city’s transportation hub. “He used more tea to make another line in the middle. “This is the new riverside planning area, but the status of the middle route is very bad. “

Zhang Siyi startled, is that a problem they need to solve? Gu Yu did not say more and continued to eat noodles. Zhang Siyi didn’t have the energy anymore to think about it deeply.

After dinner, they did not rush back to the hotel. Instead, Gu Yu took Zhang Siyi out to stroll around the night market. At the side of the road, they continued to taste some of the local favorites such as four-fruit soup and friend kueh. After walking for a little, Zhang Siyi started to understand the purpose of this night. Gu Yu didn’t just want him to eat, but to experience the people in the vicinity and the life they live in order to understand them better.

Gu Yu asked a stall vendor, “Where can I buy an old map?” The vendor refers them to an old bookstore, but it is currently closed and will reopen tomorrow morning at 8.

The two did not have a long time to go shopping and returned to the hotel by 8pm. Gu Yu took the laptop and asked Zhang Siyi to copy the photos from the camera. The night was organized and sent to the company. Poor Zhang Siyi got up at five in the morning and was enslaved by Gu Yu in the hotel at 8 o’clock in the evening!

He handled hundreds of photos and was fighting to stay awake. He selected the images one by one and wrote a document describing the location of the photos in the classified folder. When everything is done, Gu Yu was finished with his shower. Coming out of the bathroom he had changed into a white T-shirt, like the one coffee spilled on, and grey cotton pants. He was wiping his still wet hair when he approached Zhang Siyi to look at his results.

When he bent down and leaned over to look at the computer screen, Zhang Siyi couldn’t help but feel his presence and smelled a touch of shower gel fragrance emanating from Gu Yu body. His memories of his youthful admiration of the person standing before him were stimulated. At the same time, he is somewhat embarrassed to learn the person he admired is now his Boss.

If they hadn’t seen each other then he may have forgotten about it entirely. But, seeing each other every day, Zhang Siyi has an inexplicable emotion that is buried deep within his soul. Once opened, the force, unstoppable will completely surround him and make him feel drunk with joy.

When Zhang Siyi turned his head, he saw Gu Yu’s neck and collarbone close at hand. The other person’s skin is very smooth. Observing more closely he sees the cut of muscles on his arms. Since he is usually dressed in thin clothes, Zhang Siyi didn’t notice it before. Zhang Siyi inexplicably remembered the “sexual coolness. Handsome” that Fu Xinhui described.

Gu Yu suddenly sighed: “Yes, I will take over uploading the information to the servers for now. It’s your turn for a shower.” Zhang Siyi took back his thoughts and quickly stood up and walked away. After taking a shower, Gu Yu said to him: “Your cell phone has been ringing several times.”

Zhang Siyi saw Fu Xinfei’s many missed calls. Even if they live together, he has been so busy that their lives hadn’t intersected at all. Since he didn’t say hello to him after working overtime last night and since he left so early this morning, he never explained his absence and his friend is probably worried.

Zhang Siyi went to the corner and gave Fu Xinhui a call: “It is me, I am now in Z City, F Province.”

Fu Xinfei growled, “Damn it, why are you running so far?!”

Zhang Siyi: “I’m on a temporary business trip …”

Fu Xinfei: “You don’t say anything about a business trip! Jiang Hai and I thought you were abducted and sold!”

Zhang Siyi: “I was so busy, I don’t have time to tell you. I’m too tired to explain right now. I may be back tomorrow.”

Fu Xinfei: “Eh ah …”

In the presence of Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi did not have the nerve to continue talking. He hung up the phone, slowly climbed onto the bed and wrote Fu Xinfei a short message: “I’m here with my boss so I can’t talk now.”

Just after finishing this sentence, Gu Yu turned off the computer and turned his head. Seeing Zhang Siyi’s sneaky look, he raised his eyebrows and asked: “Boyfriend?”

Zhang Siyi: “………..”

Zhang Siyi was very defensive: “No!!! “

After hanging the wet towel on the back of a chair, Gu Yu got into bed to lay down. He took a pillow and put it behind his back and said, “Is he the one you call Heartless Han? The one that picked you up when drunk?”

Zhang Siyi: “It’s him, but he’s just my roommate!”

With an indeterminate expression Gu Xiao slowly formed “oh” then said: “I noticed a lot of pictures with him on your social media page, especially when traveling.”

Zhang Siyi suddenly remembered that on the day of the cafe, his ex-girlfriend also accused him of this problem! Oh, my gosh, if Gu Xiao had always thought it was true … Oh, my God! So what kind of lens is he looking at Zhang Siyi with? Think of him as a gay guy? Zhang Siyi does not know how to prove his innocence!

“We are just roommates! His name is Fu Xinhui, and ‘ Heartless Han ‘ is his nickname! “Zhang Siyi grabbed the sheets and turned his back to Gu Yu. Gu Yu didn’t think Zhang Siyi was going to get so defensive and freak out.”

Gu Yu gave him a meaningful look and smiled: “You’re so serious. I am just teasing you.”

Zhang Siyi: “………”

Ten minutes later, Gu Yu was busy on his iPad researching some of the construction information. He glanced over and saw Zhang Siyi completely encased in the blankets and bedding with only his head sticking out. So as not to set off Zhang Siyi again, Gu Yu used his hand to hide his laughing and smiling face. Displeased with himself, in the bed Zhang Si Yi silently shed tears.

The next day when Zhang Siyi woke up, the bed next door was empty. When he saw the time, he was surprised to find the time illuminated on the bedside clock was 9am. Gu Yu didn’t wake him up and let him sleep in! He quickly got up and washed, then sent a message to Gu Yu on WeChat. “Where are you?”

Gu Yu: “Oh, you are up now? I am in the old bookstore. I’ll be back in a while. Wait for me in the room.”

Zhang Siyi: “Is there anything I need to be doing?”

Gu Yu: “No, go eat first.”

When Gu Yu came back, he had a big bag of books. He emptied he bag and showed them to Zhang Siyi. There were some old maps, local customs, and city magazines.

He did not understand: “Why buy old maps?”

“Introducing the law of urban development and expansion in Z province for past few years,” Gu Yu simply explained, pulling out the room card, “Still hungry? Let’s go eat another local specialty: cat porridge.”

“Aren’t we in a hurry today ” Zhang Siyi is a little flustered. Is it his imagination? It seems like Gu Yu is in a particularly good mood today.

“We aren’t in a rush. We need to wait until Chen Gong arrives before we can go to the scene again. Then we will return to Haicheng at night.” Zhang Siyi thinks Chen Gong is the head of the landscape planning department. Zhang Siyi breathed a sigh of relief. He followed Gu Yu out the door then asked him what cat porridge was.

Gu Yu said that cat porridge is similar to seafood porridge from home. There are fish fillets, meat, shrimps, oysters, etc. According to the locals, the story says a cook made it for his cats, so it’s called cat porridge. Ning Cheng, the hometown of the two, is also close to the sea so there are some similarities in food preferences. Like with the noodles, Zhang Siyi earnestly ate the bowl of cat porridge really enjoying the flavor. He is starting to like this business trip. Just a little.

At 10:30 in the morning, Chen Gong’s plane arrived in Z City. The two men packed up and went to the scene to meet with him. Zhang Siyi couldn’t help much. He listened to Gu Yu and him talk. Gu Yu said that it is necessary to devote more than half of the plot for a flood control system. Then the two talked about some water treatment methods, types of water diversion, dredging, microbial purification and so on.

Zhang Siyi heard the fog in the clouds and looked at it. Aren’t they just architects? Why should we consider this ecological environment? And the most important thing is, why does Gu Yu know even these things? Is he omnipotent?

Although he is yearning for something in his heart, he is also very confused. The strength and maturity of Gu Yu is like a high mountain standing in front of him. Zhang Siyi cannot match him and cannot overtake him.

Especially after these two days of contact, the adoration of this person from middle school seems to slowly awaken from the bottom of his heart. How can Zhang Siyi escape? He can’t hide the influence Gu Yu has on him. Although Zhang Siyi was very unhappy while being trained, as Du Rui said, Gu Xiao has the means and methods to educate him.

Gu Yu and Chen Gong exchanged a few more ideas and took more photos. Then returned to Haicheng in the evening with a successful business trip completed.

When Zhang Siyi returned to the company on the third day of the morning. The colleagues of the team project had already completed the corresponding changes with the new photos they sent the night before and did some relevant case analysis of sewage purification content at home and abroad. After the Gu Yu’s approval, they began working on the next phase of the project.

Three days later, the project team was divided into two. From the initial analysis, each of them summed up their ideas and thus began the competition for the design bid.

Again, Zhang Siyi was assigned to patch duties, but this time he no longer complained and didn’t feel resentful. With rapt attention, he saw his colleagues joined forces; analyze, report, plan, argue, draw and create a wonderful plan. His excitement rose.

Sometimes, they are not just designers, but also salesmen and speakers. Before a design is selected, they must convince not only themselves, but also satisfy the other peoples’ needs.

Demanding perfection, Gu Yu is like a general commanding his troops. As long he points the way with his eyes and pen, the team can’t lose. After 7 days of making corrections and revisions to plan, it is finally time to reveal the designs.

At ten o’clock in the morning, the company’s largest conference room opened. The importance of the project was evident by the company’s rare appearance of several chief architects as well as consultants from the X Institute of Planning.

Quietly sitting in a far corner of the room, full of excitement, Zhang Siyi seized the opportunity to watch such a large occasion. The first report was given by Group A representative, Ji Feiyu. Although Zhang Siyi was already familiar with his group’s plan, he still listened very attentively.

After comprehensively considering the conclusions from the previous analysis, they determined the planning orientation of the new district. That is, to solve the problems of residence, flood discharge, landscape and traffic, and based on the relationships between them, divided the sections from the leading port, then further divided the 250-hectare plots according to the area requirements of each function. Each block is again divided into small blocks, each of which performs its own functions. Some build houses, some do commercial use, and some build landscapes. In this way, more than 300 can be built. The land of the football field was completely digested.

Their plan has no special “concepts” and so-called “symbolic meanings”. Everything is logically planned according to actual analysis and needs. At first glance, there aren’t flashy areas, but every step is methodical, and every detail of the plan is impeccably thought of.

After Ji Feiyu’s report was over, all the members of Group A were applauded with confidence then Peng Shuang, the representative of the Child Labor Group, stood up and gave his presentation.

Since the beginning of the design phase of the large project, the two groups of people consciously banned communication so they wouldn’t affect each other’s design plans. Therefore, this is the first time that the group A partners have seen B group design in the seven days.

The light in the room was dimmed down. Peng Shuang stood on the side of the projection screen and pressed the slide show button. Zhang Siyi was shocked at the image he saw. The first print plan of the lot that Group B designed was actually made into a huge lily!