Amidst the surging sound of the tide, my emotions gradually became heightened. This was the first time in my life that I was willing to set aside my stubbornness and strive for financial gain. I felt that this was not a loss, but rather an awakening, because after repeated setbacks, I finally learned to conform to the social trends with a lower-than-ideal attitude.

About twenty seconds later, Sun Jiwei answered my call. He seemed to be at some kind of dinner party, so amidst the background noise, he asked me, "Brother, what's up?"

"Brother Sun, let's find a place where we can talk. I want to chat with you for a while."

Sun Jiwei responded, and then I heard him open the door. After that, it became quiet. He then said to me, heavily drunk, "I'm already standing on the rooftop platform of the hotel. It's rare to have some peace and quiet. Just say what you need to say, brother."

Then I heard him lighting a cigarette on the other end of the phone.

I didn't rush to talk to him about Cao Jinbo's shops. I just spoke to him in a softer tone, "I know you have a lot of social engagements, but you should drink less alcohol... Judging from your appearance, you've had quite a bit tonight, haven't you?"

Sun Jiwei's laughter was tinged with helplessness as he replied, "When you're in the game, you're not in control of your own destiny."

"That's true, but it's your own body, so it's best to take good care of it. Otherwise, when you finally get to enjoy life, you might end up with a lot of illnesses, which would be a real loss!"

After a brief silence, Sun Jiwei smiled and said to me, "Let's not talk about that. Let's get down to business."

I lit a cigarette against the cold wind before saying, "Brother... I want to talk to Cao Jinbo. I've thought this through."

"How did you suddenly come to this realization?"

I replied in a low voice, "I'm tired of living in poverty and don't want my parents to worry too much. I'll only feel at ease if I earn more money."

Sun Jiwei replied with deep empathy, "I believe you, because I've been through this stage too... You know, it's really tiring for us men!... If you reach a certain age and haven't achieved anything, not only will outsiders look down on you, but those around you will also think you're useless... I think in this world, there are more people who kick you when you're down than people who genuinely care about you. If you want to live with dignity, you first have to learn to read other people's faces... Really, reading other people's faces isn't shameful at all. Think about it, even a high-ranking official in the city has a high position, right? If their performance isn't good, they still have to read the faces of high-ranking officials in the province. Even high-ranking officials in the province can't live a carefree life. It's just that we little people can't see them when they have to read other people's faces... Hehe... So, sometimes reading other people's faces is also a kind of training for yourself, understand?"

I remained silent, not because I disliked hearing him say that, but because I had some thoughts that needed to be processed immediately.

Sun Jiwei misunderstood my silence and said, "Brother, I've had a bit too much to drink today, so don't take what I say too seriously."

"I didn't take it to heart, really. I just thought about it for a bit and realized you're right."

“It’s good that you like to think things through!” After a short pause, he said to me, “By the way, about your appointment with Cao Jinbo, I’ll help you with that tomorrow… I estimate that he definitely won’t care about this small amount of rent, so when you talk to him, you’d better have something else to say that will appeal to him… Otherwise, the chances of it going to work out are slim, after all, you two had a falling out before, you need to keep that in mind.”

"Yes, I understand..."

I only got halfway through my sentence when Sun Jiwei seemed to get drunk, and I heard him vomit...

After a long pause, he mumbled to me again, "Brother, I have to go now... those bastards inside are pressuring me again. We'll talk on the phone tomorrow."

I quickly replied, "Don't drink anymore... Tell me where you want to go, and I'll take you home."

"It's okay, bro... Keep your phone accessible tomorrow, I'll get in touch with you."

Before I could even reply, Sun Jiwei had already hung up. After a brief moment of bewilderment, I could almost see him struggling, barely clinging to life... Suddenly, I no longer wanted to hold a prejudice against him, because I saw how difficult his situation had been. I even felt a little ashamed, because in my social circle, he was the one who most often called me "brother," but I had never truly considered him a brother, and even looked down on his philosophy of life, while he had always been very enthusiastic about my affairs.

Caught in this dilemma, I couldn't help but ask myself, can someone with my personality really become brothers with someone like Sun Jiwei?

Perhaps I won't get the answer now, but time will prove everything.

...

The next day, because I had something on my mind, I woke up early and took my phone to the bar to charge it. I kept waiting for Sun Jiwei's call, but I couldn't find a good reason to persuade Cao Jinbo to rent those 16 shops to me for a month.

I know Cao Jinbo's financial situation; he's definitely not someone who would be interested in such a small amount of rent, especially since we have a history of conflict. If I can't find a reason to entice him, the chances of this deal going through are really slim.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, and a gentle breeze was blowing. I should have been in a good mood because of this, but instead, I became a little irritable.

Just then, Peach and Iron Man, whom I hadn't been able to see all day yesterday, finally arrived at the inn. Peach was as thoughtful as ever; she bought me my favorite red bean and barley porridge, as well as two boiled eggs.

As I took the breakfast from her, I smiled and asked her, "How was your stay at the mountain and water resort?"

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