I drove the Jimny I bought from Chen Jin, and then took Chen Jin to a bank near the ancient city. I withdrew 260,000 yuan in cash from the bank, put it in my bag, and then went to a print shop to print out the revenue details of the temporary inn for the past period. This money was the profit sharing that I had agreed to with Cao Jinbo.

The reason I insisted on giving him cash was because people like him are numb to numbers. Although 260,000 yuan is nothing to him, giving it to him in cash still has a certain visual impact.

Looking at my wallet full of money, Chen Jin said to me with great admiration, "Michael, I didn't realize how much money you had until I saw it... You're really amazing. You've only been in Dali for less than a year, and you've already earned the money I made in several years working in Shanghai!"

I smiled and replied, "As long as you're willing to step out of that circle, you can too... To be honest, we're on the same starting line now, and it's really hard to say who will be ahead or behind in the future."

Chen Jin also laughed and said, "We're partners... I don't want to compete with you..."

"Then let's achieve a win-win situation."

"Win-win is a great term!"

...

After we got in the car, Chen Jin suggested to me, "How about you take your girlfriend to Tina's place for drinks tonight?"

"We have our own bar, why do we always go to Tina's place to drink?"

Chen Jin replied, "It's lively where Tina is... and Tina and I have always had a disagreement. She thinks Easterners aren't as good-looking as Westerners. I have to take your girlfriend over there to show her. Who says we don't have outstanding beauties here!"

"Aren't you just being stubborn?"

"It's not about competing; it's about the reputation of our race, it's about national righteousness!"

"I'm speechless. You can fucking twist everything into a matter of national righteousness!"

"Don't you think this is interesting?... Tina said that if I can bring over a beautiful Eastern woman who truly wins her over, we'll drink as much as we want, it'll be on the house!"

I looked at Chen Jin and asked, "Have you ever experienced what despair is?"

"What?"

"Ye Zhi has one-quarter Western ancestry; she is of mixed race."

Chen Jin stared at me blankly for a while before replying, "No wonder her nose is so straight... To be honest, our facial features are still not as three-dimensional as those foreigners'!"

I ignored him, and he said again, "Go ahead... Anyway, Ye Zhi looks more like a Chinese person. If she doesn't say it herself, who would know she's mixed race?"

"Can we sort things out with Cao Jinbo's shops first, before worrying about all this messy stuff?"

Chen Jin chuckled awkwardly and replied, "This is called balancing work and leisure... Don't be so tense... I'm telling you, I'm inviting Nicole over tonight too. From now on, all of us in Dali will be like family, including your wife... I think she's quite aloof; we need the power of family to melt her heart..."

To be honest, Chen Jin talks a lot of nonsense, but his last sentence really hit me hard... I saw a change in my mind.

When we first arrived in Dali, Tie Nan, Coach Ma, Bai Lu, Tao Zi, Yang Sisi, and I were like family; but now it seems like things have changed. The family we once were has gradually drifted apart; Chen Jin, Nicole, Ping Ge, Cao Xue, and even Tina have become family, along with Ye Zhi…

I couldn't help but wonder: what kind of power could cause such a drastic change in the relationships between the people around me?

While I was distracted, Chen Jin suddenly yelled at me, "Michael, watch the road, watch the road... there's a child ahead."

I instinctively slammed on the brakes, and the car stopped just in front of the little boy, giving me a real fright...

I wiped my face hard with both hands, then opened the car door and got out. I said "I'm sorry" and "I apologize" several times to the boy's mother. The boy's mother was quite reasonable and said that she also had a responsibility for not taking good care of her child. She then accepted my apology.

I was still reeling for a long time. If I had actually run into that person, it would have been a real sin, one that I could never atone for in my lifetime... In my lingering fear, I also felt that this was a warning from fate, reminding me to live cautiously and to treat everyone around me with care.

...

Upon arriving at "No. 1 Courtyard," I gave the waiter my room number, and he led us there. When the door opened, Cao Jinbo and Ye Zhi, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, were already there. The two were drinking tea and chatting, and they didn't seem to be at odds with each other.

Of course I know that these are just superficial things.

I introduced Chen Jin to Cao Jinbo, and after exchanging greetings, Chen Jin and I found seats. Ye Zhi and I sat next to each other, while Chen Jin sat next to Cao Jinbo. This guy is really quite bold; he's heard of Cao Jinbo's reputation, but he didn't seem flustered at all… What I admire most is his communication skills and his composed yet assertive manner. He's definitely a talent for public relations.

Cao Jinbo smiled and asked me, "Michael, there's something I want to clarify. Is this meal on your behalf or Mr. Ye's?"

I replied with a smile, "Is there a difference, Mr. Cao?"

Cao Jinbo nodded: "If it's Mr. Ye who's inviting us, then today's discussion will be about the matter between Mr. Ye and me; if it's you who's inviting us..." Cao Jinbo deliberately paused.

I quickly replied, "This meal is my sincere invitation to you, Mr. Cao. It's time for us to meet! ... During the Spring Festival, the fact that the temporary inn was able to open at Jiulongju was entirely thanks to your support. I've also kept my promise and brought over your share of the profits."

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