Chapter Twenty-Five: Gathering of the Serpent Tamers

Back in the dormitory, Sha Le’er hardly slept a wink that night. He held the bank card, turning it over and over in his hands, as tears spilled down his cheeks again and again. A million—what did a number like that even mean? Working himself to the bone, he couldn’t earn that much in a thousand years. He thought of his grandfather, who had died in hardship, the years when they’d gone hungry, and how he’d refused to go to school so as not to be a further burden on his grandfather.

If only they’d had this kind of money when his grandfather was alive, perhaps the old man would still be there. If they’d had money back then, maybe he too would have gone to university. And if he’d had money not long ago, Zhou Wenli surely wouldn’t have left him.

The little snake came back. It slithered right onto him, flicking its tongue to lick his face.

“Jin’er, thank you,” Sha Le’er murmured, tears streaming as he stroked the snake’s back. “You’re my lucky star, my little blessing.”

The little snake didn’t respond, just kept licking his face. As his tears fell, the snake licked them up too, as if enchanted by the salty taste, darting its tongue rapidly.

He didn’t know when he finally drifted off. By the time he awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. He got up and first checked the bamboo tube where the little snake slept, but it had already left, having lately taken to going out early. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and went to find Li Ying.

“Le’er, why are you up so late today?” Li Ying put on a mock stern face.

“Hehe… I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“I bet you were clutching that bank card in your sleep, weren’t you?”

“How did you know, sis?”

“Silly boy, I guessed.” Li Ying laughed as she jogged in place. “With so much money, of course you’d be too excited to sleep.”

“Hehe… Sis, you know me too well.”

“I’ll take you to change the password in a bit.”

An hour later, Li Ying drove Sha Le’er to the bank, where he quickly changed the PIN. Boss Hong had been very thorough, opening the account with a copy of Sha Le’er’s ID.

“Le’er, aren’t you going to treat me?” Li Ying looked at him with a half-smile.

“Of course! What would you like to eat, sis?”

“How much cash do you have on you?”

“Eleven hundred and five yuan,” he admitted honestly.

“And you think you can treat me with that? There’s a million in your account and you won’t even withdraw some to use?”

“But that’s a whole sum… If I break it, it’s no longer a million.” Le’er grinned sheepishly.

“You penny-pincher!” Li Ying burst out laughing. “Just buy me a bowl of porridge then.”

“Only porridge?” Le’er smiled apologetically. “That’s too simple… When I have more money, I’ll treat you to something better. And buy you some beautiful clothes too.”

“Pfft—” Li Ying was drinking water and burst out laughing, spraying it. “You need to wait until you have money? Aren’t you rich now? Stingy boy, come on, let’s go.”

The two of them headed happily to a porridge shop and each had a bowl. Li Ying was only teasing him; she was in high spirits as well. Not only had Le’er come into money, she herself stood to gain handsomely—if the little snake won, the half a million she’d wagered with Boss Hong might bring an unimaginable return.

Three days later, guests began to arrive from all directions. Li Ying and Sha Le’er, along with a dozen young employees, welcomed the snake-keeping guests. Dressed in a pure white dress, Li Ying looked like a fairy; Sha Le’er wore the suit Li Ying had bought him, looking every bit the golden boy. When there were no guests, the female greeters nearby would glance his way.

Li Ying, as the main organizer, had many other responsibilities and rarely stood at the entrance. Sha Le’er, as chief greeter, remained at his post with the others.

“Le’er, want a cigarette?” asked a male employee beside him, a skilled technician who handled snake venom extraction and had worked with Le’er before.

“Brother Gaochang, I don’t smoke.” Le’er actually did smoke but wasn’t addicted. He never bought cigarettes, only smoked when offered, but here, he didn’t even do that.

“So your name is Le’er? Hehe… I’ve known you for a while but never caught your name.” A female employee took the chance to chime in. Soon, several young women surrounded him, chattering away. Usually glib, especially around women, Le’er was now at a loss with so many vying for his attention, soon breaking out in a nervous sweat.

“Le’er, are you related to the chairman?”

“Le’er, you’re close with the chairman’s assistant—is she your real sister?”

…

Suddenly, the male employees nearby straightened up, tension written in their posture, while the female employees were still chatting away, oblivious. Le’er, overwhelmed, wiped sweat from his brow.

“My, it’s lively over here, isn’t it?” The women jumped and quickly stepped back, standing at attention. Li Ying approached gracefully, her face stern, gaze sweeping coldly from side to side.

“Sis…” Le’er called softly. Li Ying glanced at him, her expression frosty.

“If this happens again, you all know the consequences,” she warned, looking each female employee in the eye before turning to Le’er. “Sha Le’er, come with me.”

Sha Le’er followed her, apprehensive.

“You’re quite the ladies’ man, aren’t you?” Li Ying didn’t bother to hide her displeasure.

“I didn’t do anything, they—”

“You didn’t do anything, and they already like you this much. If you actually tried, they’d all go crazy.”

“Enough of that.” Li Ying suddenly laughed, her sternness melting away. “Don’t chatter with them so much from now on. Stay by my side, and do whatever I tell you, understood?”

“There are so many people here, even foreigners,” Sha Le’er said, relieved to see her smile. His tongue loosened as he followed her to the reception room, which bustled with people coming and going. Li Ying knew many of them, exchanging greetings as she passed. More than a dozen foreigners spoke in English, and Li Ying conversed with them in fluent English.

Sha Le’er gazed at her in awe.

“Sis, you’re amazing—your English is as natural as eating.”

“When I speak English, it’s as easy as drinking porridge,” Li Ying replied with a charming smile.

Two days later, the exchange officially began. The exhibition hall was lined with hundreds of iron cages, each containing a different snake—large and small, in every color and shape. More than two hundred guests came and went, examining the serpents. Some took photos or videos, making for a lively scene.

Sha Le’er suffered through it all. Dressed in a suit and tie, he stood motionless in the most prominent spot in the hall, practically an exhibit himself. Crowds gathered, not to see him but the little snake perched on his shoulder.

“What kind of snake is this? I’ve never seen one like it.”

“How strange—it even has a golden crown on its head… Have any of you ever seen a snake like this?”

…

What tormented Le’er most was the endless photography—the camera flashes made his eyes water. Eventually, Li Ying brought him a pair of sunglasses, which improved things a little.

Boss Hong and Li Ying personally acted as guides, explaining things to the guests, busy as could be.

“Young man, let’s take a photo together.”

“You’re handsome, and the snake is beautiful too—you make a perfect pair! Come on, let’s get a shot, make sure the snake is in focus.” The speaker was a woman who clearly ran a large snake-breeding business; after the photo, she went on, “Young man, why don’t you come work for me? I’ll give you ten thousand a month, with bonuses if you do well. I’ll talk to Boss Hong about it later.”

“Ha! With Sister Long looking after him, this kid’s in luck,” joked a fat, round-faced man. “But I bet he’s a greenhorn—she might be disappointed.”

“Liu, you old fool, get lost!” the woman shot back with a laugh.

“Boss Hong, why don’t you put the little snake in a cage?”

…

Wave after wave of guests came to see Le’er. Boss Hong personally introduced the little snake, talking until his mouth was dry. The grandest moment came when the group of foreigners arrived, led by Boss Hong and Li Ying. When they saw the little snake, the foreigners grew animated, gesturing excitedly. Some tried to speak to Le’er in halting Chinese, others used English. Thankfully, Li Ying was there to interpret.

Among the foreigners were several snake experts, who conversed with Li Ying in English, gesticulating at the little snake, their delight obvious. All wanted photos with Le’er—though, of course, their true aim was the snake.

“Chairman, Jin’er’s getting agitated. I’m worried…” Sha Le’er was exhausted from standing, and the little snake was clearly growing restless amid the crowd. Boss Hong, fearing it might become upset, quickly told Le’er to take the snake away.

This creature was their treasure—nothing could be allowed to happen to it.

Ignoring the guests’ disappointment, Le’er hurried out, escorted by several security guards.