Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 137 "Plan to Eliminate Delivery Thieves"

A week has passed in the blink of an eye. There are only two days left in the military training. A military parade will be held the day after tomorrow, and the end of the parade will mean the end of the military training.

However, the military parade had nothing to do with Han Zhou, so he didn't need to worry about it at all. He went into the dormitory and put the bags of takeout he was carrying on the table.

Chen Zheng had just finished showering and was lying in bed browsing the information on the school's confession wall when he saw Han Zhou carrying so many things into the room. He couldn't help but ask, "Han Zhou, why have I seen you ordering takeout every day lately?"

If he remembered correctly, this was the fifth consecutive day that Han Zhou had ordered takeout.

"I won't order any more in a couple of days." Han Zhou said without explaining why, as he unpacked the food. "There's too much food, I can't finish it all by myself, come and eat with me."

Chen Zheng put on his glasses, got out of bed, and walked over, exclaiming in surprise, "It's all barbecue! Why did you order so many portions if you can't finish them all?"

"My friend ordered this for me. You can share this with Ah Long and Lao Huo as a late-night snack. I'll give the rest to others."

"Okay." Chen Zheng nodded, then exclaimed in surprise, "But your friend is really rich. All this barbecue must have cost at least several hundred, right?"

After nearly two weeks of getting to know each other, the roommates had become quite familiar with each other, so he didn't stand on ceremony with Han Zhou.

"He is indeed quite wealthy."

Han Zhou smiled, picked up the remaining takeout and prepared to leave, but suddenly remembered something and turned back to remind them, "By the way, no matter which takeout it is, you absolutely must not eat the chicken wings in it."

"it is good."

"You should also remind Ah Long and the others that they absolutely must not eat chicken wings. This is very important."

"I know," Chen Zheng joked. "I'll definitely make them save the chicken wings for you. Look how nervous you are, it's like there's something poisoned in them."

Han Zhou smiled without saying a word and left the dormitory. Of course, there was no drug in the chicken wings, but they were loaded with an insane amount of spicy chili peppers. One bite could make you breathe fire, which in a sense was no different from being drugged.

The purpose of doing this was, of course, to find the thief who stole Xiao Xiaoxiao's takeout.

He had asked Ouyang Lianyu, who, while sympathizing with Xiao Xiaoxiao's experience of having her takeout stolen, said that she had no right to access the surveillance footage and that the school would most likely not agree to let them access it for that reason.

Since reviewing surveillance footage wasn't an option, Han Zhou had to find another way.

He could stake out the place, but it was too inefficient. He had no idea what to do, so he mentioned it to Lin Anyu during a chat a few days ago. After all, that guy had a lot of crooked ideas. As expected, the latter lived up to his expectations and told him a good idea.

It wasn't really a good idea. The plan was the same as Han Zhou's: to use a sting operation, order takeout and wait for the guy to steal it, then find him out.

However, this method has significant limitations. After all, there are so many food delivery services near the school gate, and no one can guarantee that the thief won't just happen to steal the one Xiao Xiaoxiao ordered. Moreover, the thief might not be a repeat offender; he might stop after stealing once. It's not easy to accurately find the person who stole Xiao Xiaoxiao's food delivery.

However, this method is limited to poor people like Han Zhou. As the saying goes, poverty limits imagination. Lin Anyu's method can be described as simple and crude. Since he cannot guarantee that the delivery thief can accurately steal the delivery order Han Zhou ordered, he will order several orders to increase the probability. Moreover, he will choose expensive and delicious barbecue places as bait to attract the delivery thief.

Simply put, it's about casting a wide net and targeting the best, so you don't have to worry about shameless food delivery thieves falling for your tricks.

On this basis, Lin Anyu, acting like a living devil, suggested selecting chicken wings as an "alarm" in every takeout order, that is, requiring merchants to make the chicken wings extra spicy, the kind of spicy that you can't pay if it's not spicy.

If an unsuspecting delivery thief were to eat a bite of this, it would be enough to send him to the school hospital on the spot. And it's relatively easy to get word of someone being hospitalized because of the spiciness, so this method can be used as a signal to identify the delivery thief.

Of course, this is the ideal situation. But even if the delivery thief isn't sent to the hospital, it doesn't matter. The insanely spicy chicken wings will definitely leave a lasting impression on that guy. It doesn't matter if we can find him or not. What matters is that we can't let that guy get away with it.

Moreover, if you're lucky, you might catch more than just one food delivery thief in the process, effectively ridding the people of a menace.

As for whether ordering so much takeout is wasteful?
That's absolutely impossible!
Just kidding, if Han Zhou can't finish it, there's still Guzheng, right? That guy has an insane appetite. If all else fails, he can share it with Senior Zhong Ling and their respective roommates. That way, apart from a few chicken wings that he can't eat, the rest of the barbecue will definitely not go to waste.

The more Lin Anyu listened, the more he realized that the plan made sense. The only difficulty was that ordering so much takeout would cost a lot of money, but he was not short of money. He immediately said that he would invest in the project and named it the "Takeout Thief Elimination Plan".

In other words, he couldn't get his hands on a tracker, otherwise he would have installed one in every takeout order, instead of going through all that trouble.

Without further ado, he ordered twenty servings of barbecue for Han Zhou that very night. However, he didn't order many that time. The main purpose was to leave an impression on the restaurant and tell them that the chicken wings had to be extra spicy. Next time, they could just note "as usual" in the order notes, so as not to let the delivery thief notice anything amiss beforehand.

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated. This guy was quite meticulous in this matter. He told Lin Anyu that there was no need to make such a big fuss, but the other party was very determined and said righteously that brothers should help each other.

That's true, but what Han Zhou wanted to say was that this method was probably not very useful, and he understood Lin Anyu, so he quickly understood the other party's subtext—

If I help you this time, it will be your turn to help me next time.

Han Zhou was suspicious, but when he asked Lin Anyu, Lin Anyu pretended to be dead again, only inviting him to visit their school the following weekend after military training ended, and then went behind the scenes to start the "delivery thief elimination plan".

"I have a feeling this guy's been acting weird lately..."

Han Zhou snapped out of his thoughts and quickly arrived at the girls' dormitory building. He put the barbecue on the ground, took out his phone, and sent a message to Gu Zheng.

He's now being forced to implement the so-called "delivery thief elimination plan," but since Lin Anyu is so interested, he might as well play along for a couple of days. Who knows, maybe it'll work out by accident?

Gu Zheng quickly came downstairs. It was obvious that she had just finished showering; her hair was still wet, and there were a few water droplets hanging on her neck. As soon as she saw Han Zhou, she smiled and asked, "Why are you here?"

Han Zhou gestured with his chin towards the barbecue on the ground and said, "I brought you some late-night snacks. Here, have these."

Gu Zheng was taken aback, looked closely, and said in surprise, "So many, are they all takeout orders?"

"Lin Anyu bought it."

Han Zhou explained Lin Anyu's plan to her.

"Operation Eradicate Delivery Thieves..."

Gu Zheng couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "You two are so childish! Have you caught the delivery thief yet?"

The misunderstanding about Lin Anyu liking Han Zhou has been cleared up, so she doesn't have any complicated feelings. She just thinks that the two of them have a really good relationship.

"Not yet. Lin Anyu plans to hold out for two more days. If no one steals it after that, then he'll let it go. Money shouldn't be wasted like this."

“That makes sense.” Guzheng nodded, waving her little fist as she said, “I’ll go catch him for you once we find him.”

"Take all of these, just keep two portions. I'll take them to my senior later. Remember, you absolutely cannot eat the chicken wings."

"Okay, thank Lin Anyu for me." Gu Zheng thought for a moment, "I remember Xiao Xiao is in the same dormitory building as me, should I share some with her too?"

"Whatever you want, but you'd better take the chicken wings out first. If that guy accidentally eats them, he might hold a grudge against you for life," Han Zhou joked.

"It's not that exaggerated." Gu Zheng rolled her eyes at him.

Han Zhou laughed and said, "Alright, I'm leaving now. You should go back too, or you'll catch a cold."

"You think I'm like you, that's why I don't catch a cold?"

Gu Zheng pouted and turned to walk into the dormitory building.

Han Zhou arrived at Zhong Ling's dormitory building again. He had seen Zhong Ling a few times recently, but this was the first time he had come to her dormitory to see her. He was just about to send her a message to tell her to come downstairs when he heard the sound of stomping feet behind him. He chuckled to himself, knowing without turning around who it was.

Because he doesn't always activate the "fate-dependent" mode to enhance his hearing, he often misses Zhong Ling's greetings from behind. In these situations, Zhong Ling would stomp her foot to remind him, and over time, this has become another way for her to greet him.

However, he had changed his status in advance, so this was the first time he had heard Zhong Ling's greeting.

"Learn, learn, learn... Hello, junior."

The soft, sweet voice stammered slightly, seemingly indicating the girl's nervousness. Han Zhou turned around and stammered back, "Hello, senior."

Zhong Ling was taken aback, then her face flushed slightly: "You...you heard that?"

Han Zhou was usually surprised to hear her greeting.

"I heard you," Han Zhou said with a smile. "There's no need to be so nervous about greeting me, is there?"

"I'm not nervous." Zhong Ling chuckled and shook her head, her voice gentle. "Good evening."

She wasn't nervous about greeting Han Zhou, but rather about the fact that he didn't respond after she greeted him, so she had been secretly practicing.

Does the fact that my junior responded this time mean that my practice has yielded some results and my voice has become a little louder?

Zhong Ling is a sophomore. Unlike freshmen, she doesn't have to wear military training uniforms all day. Today, she is wearing a white long dress, her long hair is tied into a ponytail and hangs down her back. Her eyes are as pure as water, like a pure lily.

Facing Han Zhou's gaze, Zhong Ling touched the decorations on her white dress with some affection and said softly, "This is a new dress. My sister bought it for me."

"It suits you very well," Han Zhou praised sincerely.

Zhong Ling had the fairest skin of all the girls he had ever seen; it was so delicate it could be described as flawless. As the saying goes, fair skin can cover up a hundred flaws, and Zhong Ling was a great beauty herself, looking good in anything. However, this white dress suited her better than the others.

"Thank you."

Zhong Ling smiled brightly. She also thought the dress was beautiful, but it would be even better if she could get the approval of her junior.

She asked curiously, "But what are you doing here, junior? Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

【Daily Task 1 (Bell Bell): Reap the target of Curiosity 3/10 ten times to earn 1 point】

"Yes, I was just about to text you to come downstairs when you appeared right behind me," Han Zhou said with a smile. "Lin Anyu ordered a lot of barbecue for me, and I can't finish it all by myself, so I wanted you to help me share some."

Zhong Ling shook her head and said, "How can this be? I can't accept something for nothing. My sister said that I can't just accept things from other people."

"But we're friends, aren't we?"

Han Zhou knew she would say that, so he coaxed her gently, "Besides, I'm not asking you to give me anything, but to help me with the food I can't finish. Besides, you've done a good job too. I haven't even repaid you for taking me to the hospital last time."

“But I didn’t do anything that day…” Zhong Ling still shook her head.

Han Zhou had a headache. Zhong Yin's education wasn't wrong, but it was obviously too extreme. If friends always had to do things like "no reward without merit," they would end up having no friends.

He sighed, "Sister Yin specifically told me to take good care of you. I didn't expect that even she trusted me, but my senior is still like this..."

Zhong Ling immediately became nervous and stammered, "That's not what I meant, and I don't distrust you, it's just that... um... then I'll eat it, okay?"

"I'm sorry, please don't be angry..."

Seeing Zhong Ling's aggrieved look, Han Zhou felt a little embarrassed. This senior was too easy to fool, no wonder Zhong Yin would use such an extreme method to protect her.

He said, "I'm not angry, and you don't need to apologize. Actually, whether or not you are willing to accept other people's things is not a complicated issue. You just need to figure out whether the other person means well."

“Then you mean well…” Zhong Ling said cautiously.

Han Zhou laughed: "Of course I meant well, but why aren't you in your dorm so late at night? I remember you said you were a homebody."

Seeing that he didn't seem angry, Zhong Ling felt relieved and replied, "I went to get my roommate's bag; she left it at the library."

Han Zhou raised an eyebrow and asked, "Taking your bag? Are you alone?"

"Ah."

What is your roommate doing?

"She was preparing for a group project. We are in the same group. She not only participated in the design of the project, but is also responsible for her presentation tomorrow. She has put in a lot of effort, so I went to help her with her bag."

Han Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. He thought Zhong Ling was being oppressed and used as an errand girl by her roommate, but it turned out that wasn't the case at all.

He found himself naturally taking on the role of caregiver, not only worrying about the relationship between Guzheng and her roommates, but also keeping an eye on Zhong Ling's situation, which could be considered as living up to the expectations of Sister Miao and Sister Yin.

Fortunately, the situation is not bad so far, at least the two of them have not had any problems with their interpersonal relationships.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Zhong Ling asked, "Is your hand better?"

Han Zhou smiled and said, "I'm almost fully recovered. I'll be completely healed in a while."

"That's good."

Zhong Ling nodded softly, unsure of what to say next. She had rarely chatted with anyone since high school, and though she wanted to talk to Han Zhou more, she couldn't find a topic to discuss, which made her feel a little disappointed.

Han Zhou had no intention of lingering there and said, "I should go back now. You can take these things back and eat them, or share them with your roommates. But there's one thing you must be careful about: you absolutely cannot eat the chicken wings."

"Isn't that a waste?" Zhong Ling asked, puzzled.

"Let it go to waste, this stuff is terribly spicy, I can't eat it anyway."

Zhong Ling seemed to understand, but nodded and said, "I understand. I will definitely not eat it, and I won't let anyone else eat it either."

Han Zhou laughed and said, "Good that you understand. I might bring you some barbecue tomorrow. Keep an eye out for the message. I'm heading back now."

besides?

Zhong Ling paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

She felt that what her junior said made sense. Whether or not one is willing to accept something from another depends on whether the other person has good intentions. Her junior certainly had good intentions, so she could accept it.

I'll ask my sister for her opinion when I get back...

(End of this chapter)