Feeling unusually relaxed, I asked the waiter for two more beers to celebrate. It had been a long time since I'd felt this carefree. I felt my mind was clear, not just in my career, but also in my relationships.

For me, Lu Jia's act of encroaching on the house is like a cancer in my heart. I want to cut it off with my own hands. It will definitely hurt a lot and will be accompanied by a lot of self-sacrifice. But when I really had the courage, I was healthy again. As long as I am healthy, I am not afraid of not getting the life I want.

It's just two houses, Michael doesn't want them!

...

Just as we were finishing two bottles of beer, Chen Jin, who had gone out for a stroll, returned to the bar. He was particularly excited, and as soon as he sat down, he showed me the results of his photography trip. I leaned over to take a look, and it really did look quite impressive. Dali, embraced by a rainbow, looked like a blockbuster movie with special effects in his lens—very pleasing to the eye.

I smiled and said to him, "I didn't expect that you would have cultivated a hobby in your middle age. You must be the one among us who knows how to enjoy life the most!"

"That's right. Anyway, since I came to Dali, I've never felt empty. I always have so much to do, and everything I do is something I'm interested in..."

"Excellent, this is how people should live!"

"Stop flattering me, when are you going to be able to see things clearly?"

"Me?" I smiled, picked up my glass and took a sip, then said, "I've come to terms with it too. It's just that we've chosen different paths. I want to go higher and see different scenery; you're content to stay where you are, but you've made the scenery in front of you even more beautiful... There's no superior or inferior between us, we just have different pursuits."

Chen Jin also laughed: "That makes sense... We are all people with aspirations, but we realize our value in different ways."

After a brief pause, Chen Jin said to me with some emotion, "The only thing that's not so satisfactory now is my love life."

"Still undecided between Ia and Nicole?"

Chen Jin lit a cigarette and took several puffs before replying, "Each has its own advantages. Ia is more easygoing, so she can tolerate my easygoing nature, but I also have to tolerate her easygoing nature. Nicole is the kind of woman who, once married, is widowed but not divorced. Over time, she will definitely feel suffocated, but I don't have to worry about her doing anything improper behind my back."

You're a real pervert!

"I'm not a pervert, I'm just a little greedy."

"I understand. You want Nicole to be your legal wife and Ia to be your mistress, so that your life will be perfect!"

Chen Jin covered his mouth and nose with his hand, pretending to be calm, but inside he was overjoyed, so much so that his cheeks puffed up. He replied with a sly grin, "A harmonious society needs this kind of harmonious relationship!"

"Scumbags, they are not ashamed, but proud of it."

"Why do people have to live such a serious life in this world? If they're willing, I'd really go and live in a country where polygamy is allowed."

"You've really gone all out!"

Chen Jin smiled, then closed his eyes and took a deep drag of his cigarette, clearly enjoying the experience.

I said to him seriously, "Calm down... You really need to be more aware of the situation... I think there's something going on between Nicole and Cao Xue... I'm not trying to stir things up between you two, I just want to remind you... If you keep thinking like this, you won't last long with anyone; never treat women like fools, they all have a scale in their hearts, they know very well who is worthy of entrusting their lives to!"

Chen Jin completely missed the point. He slammed his fist on the table and said to me, "You try to get Cao Xue to even make a move on Nicole... I'll fucking break his legs!"

"If a fight really breaks out, who knows who will break whose leg... Don't try to play dumb with me. If you really like Nicole, then do something decent and stop messing around with everyone all the time."

Chen Jinmeng took a deep drag on his cigarette, then frowned and fell silent; who knows what he was thinking?

...

Some things are better left unsaid; so I changed the subject and said to him, "By the way, there's something else I want to discuss with you... I really can't raise enough start-up capital for that project, so after thinking it over, I still have to give up my shares in the bar... You have to understand, buddy..."

"I don't understand you at all... How come you just can't get anything done no matter what?"

After saying that, Chen Jin threw all his cigarettes into the ashtray... as if his livelihood would be cut off the moment I left the bar.

I fanned away the splattered ash and patiently said to him, "Let me finish what I have to say... I'm not transferring these shares to anyone else. I've thought it through, and I'll let Sisi take over... Later, when I make money, I'll buy the shares back from her. Actually, these shares are just temporarily in her hands to help me solve my immediate problem."

Chen Jin looked incredulous. He stared at me for a long time before replying, "If you're going to transfer it to Sisi, I'd welcome it with open arms. I know you too well; you'd care more about her affairs than your own!"

I smiled and didn't respond further.

Chen Jin then said to me, "Has your Ren and Du meridians been opened up and you suddenly become enlightened? ...Isn't what you fear most in this life owing women favors?"

“It’s not manly to be so insecure about your own woman… What I should really be thinking about is how to repay her doubly in the future.”

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