CH 1.2

Chen Qizhao felt that he might’ve been confused due to the rain. He looked down to see all types of beers on the table in front of him. In the chaotic light, he could see the English logo on the glass bottle.

It was beer and the degree wasn’t high. It was something he could drink when he was 18.

In his youth, he really liked to play around and often called friends to drink. He should be glad that his youthful indulgence allowed him to become a good drinker. This way, he had the ability to interact with others after the Chen family went bankrupt.

It was just that later on, he couldn’t drink any longer.

He fell ill due to drinking in large amounts.

The bar he went to when he was 18 years old had a certain sense of age. The lighting was dazzling, the privacy between booths wasn’t strong and the beer bottle still had the old packaging. The more he saw, the more he found that these scenes and the surrounding sounds became more and more real. It was like the ridiculous dream really brought him back to the absurd year when he was 18 years old.

Chen Qizhao’s eyes moved mechanically and finally stopped on the glass wine bottle on the table.

The surrounding voices were really noisy as they chattered continuously over and over again.

Qin Xingfeng looked at Chen Qizhao on the other side and there was a trace of impatience in his eyes. Then he quickly changed back to his humble and gentle appearance. His voice was soft, “It actually isn’t that complicated. A university major can teach theoretical knowledge and this will be much more convenient when you join the industry. However, Chen Qizhao, you should make some preparations if you want to think about your future… if you really work under your brother, you might be restricted everywhere.”

The people around them agreed with Qin Xingfeng’s analysis.

“It shouldn’t be so exaggerated? They are brothers and he won’t be that cruel, right?”

“…There are times when brothers will also settle accounts.”

“Who knows what your older brother is thinking? You have seen how cruel he is to his opponents in the business field. If he really wants to deal with you then you should be careful…”

The DJ in the venue changed the song and the restless music became more lively.

Qin Xingfeng looked at Chen Qizhao, who hadn’t spoken from the beginning. He was just about to add a few more words when he saw Chen Qizhao staring at him with no emotions in his eyes. Then Chen Qizhao held up the wine glass in front of him.

“Are you done?” Chen Qizhao asked.

Qin Xingfeng was startled. “What?”

Chen Qizhao remained silent and just raised the glass at him.

Qin Xingfeng felt it was strange but he picked up his glass to clink it together. “Xiao Zhao, what I just said…”

Bang!

The sudden cracking sound shocked the people around them. They recovered and saw that the glass in Chen Qizhao’s hand had fallen off the table and shattered on the ground. Many glass fragments fell on him and beer flowed down the table.

The surroundings fell quiet in an instant and everyone stared at Chen Qizhao in shock, especially Qin Xingfeng.

Qin Xingfeng forgot to move for a moment and just held up his wine glass in a daze.

A waiter nearby hurried over and stopped for a moment when he saw this scene.

After the glass fell off the table, the glass fragments flew at everyone and a lot of it fell on the boy.

At this time, the beam of light from the ceiling swept over and shone on the boy sitting casually on the sofa in a jacket from a big fashion brand. A few drops of blood appeared on his white and thin arms and soon gathered together. It was sharp and penetrating in this atmospheric light.

“It isn’t a fever…?” Chen Qizhao murmured in a low voice.

He shifted his gaze slightly and his eyes paused on the blood on his arm for a moment. Then he quickly looked at the white-clothed boy on the other side, asking coldly, “You aren’t injured?”

“No… I’m fine.” Qin Xingfeng’s heart was filled with a lingering fear and an indescribable sense of a guilty conscience gradually rose.

Chen Qizhao saw two waiters coming and looked away like it was a pity. He looked at a waiter. “Hello, please bring me some medical gauze and iodine.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

The waiter was surprised for a moment before turning to get the medical kit.

The other people were about to open their mouths. However, Chen Qizhao suddenly looked at them after he finished giving orders to the waiter. “I drank a bit too much and my hands slipped.”

The boys were relieved to hear this and reacted immediately.

“You can become drunk after only drinking beer. Qizhao, this shows that you can’t drink enough.”

“You really scared me to death. Do you want to take care of the glass on your body? There is also your hand. Has it been scratched?”

“Are you okay? Are you dizzy now?”

Chen Qizhao told them, “I sobered up.”

The waiter quickly brought the medical kit and cleaned up the messy scene. The noise and excitement of the bar wasn’t disturbed by this small episode. Chen Qizhao treated the wound on his hand in an expressionless manner. The tingling sensation of the alcohol disinfection reminded him of the authenticity of this absurd scene.

It wasn’t a dream. He had really returned to when he was 18 years old, the age when nothing had happened.

His eyes looked around and finally stopped on Qin Xingfeng. His tone was natural as he spoke, “Brother Xingfeng, what did you just say? I was a bit confused from drinking and didn’t hear it clearly.”

Qin Xingfeng was slightly surprised. He still had some lingering fears from the episode just now but Chen Qizhao’s good attitude after he sobered up made Qin Xingfeng relaxed. He explained, “I started my own business during college and there is no need to talk about the importance of experience. I was just suggesting that if you want to have more of a right to speak, you can try to accumulate some capital and experience for yourself.”

“How do I accumulate this?”

“Brother Xingfeng, do you have a few tricks?”

“Entrepreneurship isn’t about theoretical knowledge. If you are interested, I have a friend who happens to have a research project on artificial intelligence. The prospects are good and it is pulling in investments from everywhere.” Qin Xingfeng’s tone was mild and he looked at Chen Qizhao with very friendly eyes. “If you want to try to start your own business, you can consider testing the waters with your own investment. This project has been evaluated well by my company and it won’t lose money, even if there is no big profit. I don’t know if you are interested?”

“It isn’t bad to invest on your own. Didn’t Brother Qinfeng invest in a college student project last time and made a lot of money?”

“This is also a good choice. If you have your own achievements then you won’t be pressured too badly when entering the group.”

“Even if you don’t enter the group, you will have more capital and more confidence.”

Chen Qizhao listened to the interesting and funny analysis of the pros and cons in front of him and his heart was very calm. He even recalled the long-lost past.

In his youth, he wasn’t on good terms with his older brother Chen Shiming. This was famous in the circle and some people even used this to talk about them behind their backs or to provoke discord for personal gain.

Qin Xingfeng was one of them.

He was young and promising in front of outsiders. He left his family in his 20s and started a successful business. Combine this with his gentle and elegant temperament and he was very popular in their circle. During the time when Chen Qizhao and Chen Shiming were unhappy due to the matter of choosing majors, Qin Xingfeng changed an ordinary family matter into Chen Shiming intentionally doing it with bad intentions. He fanned the flames on the grounds that Chen Qizhao would be suppressed by Chen Shiming when he entered the group.

Qin Xingfeng was very smart. He said it was a suggestion but he was actually taking advantage of this to seek personal gain. Chen Qizhao didn’t have any theoretical knowledge when he was young. How could he know so many details about entrepreneurship? He was quickly tricked by Qin Xingfeng’s rhetoric. It was called a cooperation but it was actually just giving money to Qin Xingfeng. Not only did it give him money but it also allowed Qin Xingfeng to rely on the big tree called the Chen Group through this matter. It wasn’t known how much convenience he gained in private due to it.

After there was a crisis with the Chen Group’s capital chain, he remembered this project. Then he realized that his cooperation with Qin Xingfeng was a joke and the money invested in it was squandered. The project that had been boasted about was just an empty shell.

Chen Qizhao looked at the others. “Do you have a cigarette?”

Someone next to him took out a cigarette and lit it.

However, Chen Qizhao didn’t seem to have any intention of smoking.

Qin Xingfeng watched him and inexplicably felt some pressure.

“Okay. Brother Xingfeng, bring me the project for me to see when you are free.” Chen Qizhao held the cigarette in his hand and continued speaking, “It is just that I don’t understand these things. I will need your help with some of it.”

Qin Xingfeng saw these actions and was inwardly relieved. This person was just putting on a false appearance.

Chen Qizhao was acting like an old, experienced person but he couldn’t even smoke well. Qin Xingfeng knew that the Chen family’s education was good. Based on the way Chen Qizhao drank tonight, he knew this person shouldn’t have touched wine often before, let alone smoking.

“Then I’ll tell you more about it later.” Qin Xingfeng talked more about the business world. Then after chatting for 10 minutes, he glanced at the time and got up. “I still have something to do back in the company. You should drink less alcohol and remember to call for a driver on the way home.”

“Brother Xingfeng, don’t worry.”

“You go to work first.”

Qin Xingfeng quickly left.

“Brother Xingfeng is a good person.”

“Yes, last time I almost had a problem with my investment. Fortunately, I asked him a lot of questions.”

“Qizhao, we all know Brother Xingfeng’s character. We can trust this person.”’

“Is that so?” Chen Qizhao slightly raised his gaze. “He is handsome and has a good face.”

His superficial character setting was done well and his dishonest rhetoric was good. It was a pity for him to only do investments.

The others looked at Chen Qizhao and didn’t seem to understand his words. One of them said with a smile, “Brother Xingfeng really does look good. He is a bit like a gentleman from a TV drama.”

Chen Qizhao ignored them. His hands skillfully touched the ashtray and allowed the spark to burn back little by little.

“Chen Qizhao.”

Suddenly, a young and familiar voice was heard behind Chen Qizhao.

Chen Qizhao was stunned for a moment before suddenly turning back.

In the aisle behind the booth, Chen Shiming was standing there in a suit and leather shoes, his stern face covered with a layer of frost.

The eyes of the two people collided. Soon, Chen Shiming’s eyes moved from Chen Qizhao’s face to his hand holding the cigarette.