novelhk Page 108
Page 108
Because his first thought was to run away.
"Uncle, what are you looking for? Let me help you look for it." Gao Kui couldn't stand it anymore. Why did he suddenly jump up and down like that?
There was no ambush, no murderous intent or hostility, and no sign of any disturbance.
Uesugi Kotsugi, still possessing the basic qualities of an emperor, looked around for a long time but did not notice anything amiss. Could this really just be a coincidence?
“I suddenly remembered something very important.” Uesugi Koshi sat back down.
"Why don't you go ahead and get busy?"
"No need, I suddenly remembered that I've already done that."
Gao Kui had no doubts. Amnesia is a common ailment among the elderly, and it was even more prevalent in someone with mental illness like him.
"You just said you studied in the United States. Which school did you attend?" Uesugi asked Gao Kui subtly, carefully seeking confirmation.
"Kassel, a prestigious university, you may not have heard of it, but our school has official ties with the University of Chicago, and the teachers and professors are all PhD graduates from world-class universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford. Their resumes can be found on the school's official website."
Gao Kui, head held high, introduced Kassel to Uesugi Yue to prove that he hadn't attended some low-ranking, unreputable university, but a genuine elite school with guaranteed job placement and starting salaries of hundreds of thousands of US dollars after graduation.
Fuck!
Uesugi Kotsugi nodded repeatedly without showing any emotion, but inwardly he was cursing, thinking, "That damn Angers is still chasing me."
It was probably just a coincidence, but he was just going to church to pray as usual and he happened to meet a student from Kassel who was a descendant of the Gao family of Northern Qi. It could be considered a twist of fate.
"Very good, very good. You look just as handsome as I did when I was young. You must have attended some shabby university." Uesugi Yue expressed his approval of Kassel's teaching standards.
Chapter 136 The Ramen Prince
The two chatted until sunset.
Just as Gao Kui thought Uesugi Kotsugi was a good person, Uesugi Kotsugi also thought Gao Kui was a good person.
"Would you like to find a place for a drink?" Uesugi Kotetsu extended an invitation to Takagi.
Gao Kui pointed to himself in disbelief. "Me? I'm still a minor. I didn't bring it up, and you're already asking me to have a drink with you. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
“I run a ramen stall outside the Akamon Gate of the University of Tokyo.”
Uesugi patted Takagi on the shoulder: "I don't sell alcohol, but I usually keep some for myself in my cart, like beer, red wine, and champagne. I don't really like the local Japanese sake."
I'm about to start work too. How about coming to my ramen stall for a bowl of ramen and a low-alcohol drink? Don't worry, no one will check your age.
Uesugi Koshi made a face.
In Japan, the legal drinking age is 20. Many anime protagonists who save the world never drink a single drop of alcohol, even until the very end. However, how they drink in private is another matter entirely.
Gao Kui understood immediately and gave an "OJBK" gesture.
Gao Kui was also curious about what authentic Japanese ramen tasted like, and why it appeared so frequently in various anime.
When traveling to Japan for school or leisure, trying Japanese ramen is practically a must-do activity. Besides that, the location of Uesugi Koshi's ramen stall also piqued Gao Kui's interest, given that it's near the University of Tokyo, ranked number one in Asia.
The two took the subway back to Uesugi Koshi's residence.
Uesugi Koshi's residence is not large; it is a two-story detached house with a total area of about 100 square meters. The land area is very small, but the location is very special, near Yakushiji Temple in Hongo Town.
Yakushiji Temple isn't very famous, but Hongo-cho is. First, Bunkyo Ward, where Hongo-cho is located, is one of the central wards of Tokyo. Second, the main campus of the University of Tokyo is located in Hongo-cho.
An old-fashioned ramen stall cart, locked, was parked outside my house.
Uesugi Koshi was tidying up the ingredients, letting Takagi Kui sit and look around freely. Most Japanese people, or even more polite Chinese people, would have helped Uesugi Koshi tidy up at this point, or sat awkwardly in the center of the living room.
But Gao Kui was clearly no ordinary person.
You said you could look around freely, so I really could look around freely. This was Gao Kui's first time visiting a traditional Japanese detached house. Apart from the locked basement, Gao Kui could say he had toured the entire Uesugi Koshi's house, including Uesugi Koshi's bedroom.
"Is this detached house yours, Uncle, or is it rented?" After the tour, Gao Kui helped Uesugi Yue carry ingredients onto the ramen cart.
"It was passed down from my ancestors; I definitely couldn't earn enough money to buy this house on my own."
"Uncle, you're much richer than I imagined," Gao Kui couldn't help but exclaim.
“It’s all real estate, nothing to brag about. It can certainly fetch a lot of money if we sell it, but we can’t just sell it and rent a place to live.”
"That's not a bad choice either."
After packing up, Uesugi Kotsugu pointed out the way to Takagi Kui, who then set up a ramen stall for Uesugi Kotsugu and introduced him to some of the lifestyles of the elderly.
When they get older, they sell their real estate, rent houses, and then travel the world, living whatever they want, blah blah blah.
Uesugi Koshi was very tempted by what he heard. In fact, he didn't have many years left to live. He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and it was already in its late stage when it was discovered. The doctor said that there was no cure and that he would kick the bucket at most within a year. However, Uesugi Koshi managed to hold on for several years thanks to his royal bloodline.
However, Uesugi Koshi has recently been able to sense that his body has deteriorated considerably compared to a few years ago. Saying he only has a few months or a year left to live is certainly an exaggeration, but it's highly likely he will die within a few years.
Selling all the assets that can be sold before death, then traveling the world and finally returning to France for burial, is not a bad choice.
Just as Uesugi was about to be moved, Kaku suddenly attacked his right brain with his left brain and sighed, "However, many of those old people who sell their property and live life to the fullest do not have a happy ending."
"What do you mean?" Uesugi asked, wondering why things weren't going well when they seemed happy.
"The money is all gone, but the person is still alive."
"That must have been very painful."
Uesugi Kotsushi had to put his plans on hold for the time being. He didn't actually have that many assets to sell, and the antique collection in his basement could very well alert the Snake Clan and lead them to him.
An old man and a young boy, like father and son, were pulling a cart and chatting as they arrived near the Akamon Gate of the University of Tokyo.
Uesugi Koshi set up the ramen stall and took the opportunity to introduce the surrounding area to Takagi. The University of Tokyo has five gates in total, but only one of the side gates is marked with the words "University of Tokyo." The other gates, including the main gate and the red gate, have no gate markings and are very low-key.
Of these gates, the Akamon Gate, built during the Edo period, is the most famous and has become a popular tourist attraction. Students from nearby universities and tourists alike come to visit the area around the Akamon Gate.
Gao Kui looked around and found that it was indeed the case. The pedestrians coming and going on the street were generally young, about the same age as him. They were either students studying at nearby universities or high school students dreaming of being admitted to top universities such as the University of Tokyo and Ochanomizu University.
As a famous tourist attraction, it has no shortage of all kinds of food stalls.
In addition, Gao Kui also noticed a very interesting phenomenon.
There are several ramen shops on the street directly opposite the Red Gate, and there are also many ramen stalls in this area. Gao Kui even saw a Lanzhou ramen stall and a dandan noodle stall.
Why are there so many noodle stalls?
Gao Kui had no choice but to seek confirmation from Uesugi Koshi.
"Because the Akamon Ramen at the University of Tokyo is very famous."
Uesugi Koshi set up his food stall and officially started business: "Japanese people love to eat ramen, and the University of Tokyo is the most famous university in Japan. When the two are combined, the Akamon ramen provided by the University of Tokyo cafeteria naturally becomes famous throughout the country and becomes a cultural symbol."
Because the University of Tokyo's cafeteria is open to tourists, many visitors come to try Akamon Ramen every day. The cafeteria certainly can't serve all the tourists, so the extra customers are taken over by our ramen stalls.
Our stall is right outside the Akamon Gate, so we're basically Akamon ramen. Besides that, the Akamon ramen at Tokyo University is actually pretty bad; apparently, even the noodles are pre-made.
The University of Tokyo students preferred to eat our more expensive ramen rather than Akamon ramen, so in the end, all the authentic Akamon ramen from the University of Tokyo ended up being sold to tourists.
Gao Kui suddenly realized that Tokyo University also had its own version of West Lake Vinegar Fish.
Just as Uesugi Koshi said, no one from the University of Tokyo eats Akamon Ramen. The stall had barely been set up when two young girls came out of the University of Tokyo. They looked around, their eyes lit up when they saw the stall where the two were, whispered a few words to each other, and then walked over hand in hand.
While casually ordering from Uesugi Koshi, he secretly glanced at Takagi.
Uesugi's eyes lit up; she hadn't expected bringing Gao Kui over would have this effect. But that was to be expected; even a top student from Tokyo University had to be attracted to handsome men.
After the initial surprise, Uesugi Kotsushi couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, lamenting that beauties, like renowned generals, are destined to never grow old. The female students at Tokyo University were rather superficial; it was the older, handsome men like him who possessed a true charm.
Men are like fine wine, they get better with age.
"Shall I prepare it for you first?" Uesugi Kotsu turned to look at Takagi.
"No, let's prepare for these two customers first. I've never sold ramen before, and the scenery here is quite nice." Gao Kui shook his head and refused.
The two female students from the University of Tokyo were secretly delighted. It seemed that this handsome guy would be staying here for a long time, so was there a chance for him?
Uesugi Yue didn't stand on ceremony with Gao Kui. He took a bottle of red wine and a wine glass from the container, poured half a glass, and handed it to Gao Kui, using him as a living advertisement to attract customers.
"Then you can continue making your ramen prince. I have a feeling I'll be closing up shop early today."
Uesugi Koshi only prepares so much food; once he sells it all, he packs up and goes home. He doesn't really rely on selling ramen to make a living. Of course, many times he doesn't actually sell all his noodles.
Uesugi was preparing noodles when two girls from Tokyo University sat in front of the ramen stall, exchanging quiet conversations and occasionally asking Gao Kui questions. Gao Kui, meanwhile, was holding the red wine Uesugi had given him, leaning against the railing and imitating Stephen Chow from the movie "From Beijing with Love".
The only downside was that the drink in my hand wasn't a martini.
Even so, a man as dashing as Gao Kui is like a firefly in the dark, so bright and so outstanding.
With his melancholy eyes, furrowed brows, and a 300 million yen Armani suit and 20 yen Berluti shoes, he still deeply captivated many young girls, becoming their one-of-a-kind, charismatic ramen prince.
Girls ask how old the handsome guy is?
Gao Kui said he had just turned 20. He was also holding a glass of red wine, so he definitely couldn't reveal his real age.
The girls then asked the handsome guy if he was already working or still in school.
Gao Kui said he is studying in Kassel, USA, and is currently on a school trip.
The girls looked up information about the University of Kassel and became even more satisfied with Gao Kui's qualifications; the professors' resumes on the official website were truly dazzling.
As students of the University of Tokyo, the girls were somewhat familiar with some of the prestigious universities in their former colonial power. Their academic quality might not be superior to the University of Tokyo's, but they all had intricate networks of connections behind them, requiring even letters of introduction for admission.
Those students at top American universities are all from wealthy or privileged backgrounds. Even those few high-achieving students from humble backgrounds quickly become part of the network of connections after getting into a prestigious university.
Judging from Gao Kui's attire, he doesn't look like someone from a middle-class family; he must be a dragon among men from a prestigious family.
Doesn't this perfectly match our status as current students at Southeast University?
To be honest, it's not so bad if Gao Kui is unemployed. He's so handsome, even if he paid someone, it would be a win; you have to pay to hire a male escort at a host club.
But a powerful alliance can open up even greater possibilities.
The last girl asked the handsome guy if he had a girlfriend.
Gao Kui said yes.
After all, he had spent over ten million US dollars on them yesterday, so he couldn't just turn around and complain. Even though Gao Kui didn't even know the name of Jiu De Mai.
The girls were disappointed and left after finishing their ramen.
"Do you really have it or are you faking it?" Uesugi Koshi turned to ask for confirmation.
"It's true."
Gao Kui pulled out the black gold card that Jiu Demai had given him: "My girlfriend gave it to me."
"An American Express black card? Your girlfriend is quite wealthy." Uesugi Yue wasn't surprised that Gao Kui had a girlfriend and that she had given him a black card.