Chapter 7 The Domineering CEO

[Wow, what's wrong with you, host? Did Yan Chen notice something amiss when you registered your phone number?]

The system panicked within its consciousness, subconsciously ignoring the host's purpose in doing so.

"What's wrong?" Qingran asked the overly melancholy person beside her.

He just suddenly realized that the police might not be willing to do their best to help him with the investigation.

Even if you're lucky enough to encounter a conscientious and responsible police officer, there are many more cases that take precedence over him.

He cannot place all his hopes on the police.

"Are there any watch shops in the county that buy back luxury watches?" Yan Chen asked, having composed himself, not wanting to reveal his negative emotions.

[He's changing the subject, could he have really found out?] The system became alert.

Qingran didn't think so.

After calming the system down, it replied, "The watch shop has them, but I don't know if they'll buy back luxury watches. Ah Chen is thinking..."

Yan Chen nodded, raised his left hand to make it easier for him to observe, and said, "The buyback price should be alright."

Qingran stared intently at it.

Black strap with white gold dial, the dial features a mysterious starry blue surface dotted with galaxy-like gold powder.

It's from the Patek Philippe Starry Night collection, with a market price in the seven figures.

This hand is quite suitable for wearing a watch, but Qingran, who is unfamiliar with the prices of luxury goods, has no idea what to do with it.

After a moment, she came to her senses: "I don't recommend you sell it if you don't remember it. What if it has special meaning to you?"

"However, if you are in urgent need of money and want to go to the hospital for another detailed examination or treatment, then disregard what I said."

The system, which was being observed by onlookers, was quietly on edge.

The host clearly didn't take Yan Chen to the hospital for a check-up. If Yan Chen really wanted to go to the hospital, wouldn't that give us away?

Yan Chen was stunned, never having considered the possibility of it having special significance.

"Should we go to the hospital for another check-up?" Qingran asked him.

Yan Chen lowered his hand.

Putting aside the fact that he sold the watch only to alleviate Qingran's financial pressure, let's talk about the hospital visit.

With his limited medical knowledge, he was fairly clear that current medical technology was insufficient to cure amnesia.

"Forget it, let's go to an internet cafe," the man changed his mind.

At that time, internet cafes were not strictly regulated; they didn't check ID cards or age, and you could basically just pay to get in.

The two went to the nearest police station.

Pushing open the door, accompanied by various game sound effects and players' heart-wrenching shouts through headphones, a cacophony of smells—a mixture of cigarette smoke, instant noodles, sweat, and carbon dioxide—rushes towards you.

Qingran, with her keen senses, immediately held her breath and leaned back upon smelling the odor, which was comparable to toxic gas, clearly showing her disgust.

Yan Chen, who was also unaccustomed to this kind of occasion, noticed this and asked Qing Ran to wait for him outside, saying that he would come out after checking something.

[What is Yan Chen investigating?]

After the man entered the internet cafe, Qingran stood on the street, estimating the time and asking.

When the signal is strong, the network is transparent to the system. After understanding the connection, the response was very quick, prompting an exclamation:

[The male protagonist is investigating his own identity!]

really.

Those who can afford to wear luxury watches are naturally not ordinary people, and Yan Chen clearly understood this as well as the value of the watch.

No wonder they conducted the survey online.

[Lingling, please block information about Yan Chen himself from his computer.]

[Don't worry, host. Yan Chen's amnesia and being found by Su Yu is a plot device. Unless you actively bring him out, Yan Chen himself won't be able to find out anything.]

[He'll only find a bunch of people with the same name.] The system isn't too worried.

As for Su Yu... emmm, I can't guarantee anything.

The host's harmless little actions have caused the situation to deviate from the original plot, and it is no longer exactly the same.

A butterfly flaps its wings; who knows what will happen next?

Nevertheless, the system still used its capabilities to filter the search results, and then asked in surprise:

[Why didn't you let me help you forge the chat logs last time, host?]

[Products from the system are guaranteed to be of high quality; even if Yan Chen himself regains his memories, he won't be able to find any flaws!]

Qingran smiled: [Unfortunately, I don't need absolute certainty.]

The system pondered for a moment.

That's right, the host doesn't actually know Yan Chen, so it would be abnormal for the forgery to be so perfect.

I see, it understands!

There was no need to worry about Yan Chen not being able to pay the airport transfer fee; Qing Ran left him half of the cash she had taken from his wallet.

He looked at the distant street scene with a relaxed expression—

Um?

"Wang Lei."

"!" Wang Lei, who was casually walking towards the internet cafe, suddenly felt a jolt when he heard his full name.

The terrifying feeling of the teacher calling roll and the prelude to the parents casting a spell rushed into my mind at the same time.

He looked around, his faded blond hair standing on end, and exclaimed, "Who's there!"

He wore a skull t-shirt and ripped jeans. He was about 1.7 meters tall, tall and thin, with thick eyebrows and narrow eyes and handsome features. However, the two pimples that had just appeared on his chin and his wary look gave him a shifty and thieving appearance.

"..." After watching the record of human folly for a while, Qingran said speechlessly, "Here."

Wang Lei followed the sound.

Upon seeing Qingran, he first frowned, looking puzzled and suspicious.

Then, recognizing a familiar face on that refined features, he tentatively asked, "Old Zhou?"

Qingran slightly raised her chin in acknowledgment, and he immediately widened his eyes in disbelief.

Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, you're saying this incredibly handsome guy is my best friend from back in the day?!

Has the world gone mad, or have I gone mad?

I approached and examined it from all angles, looking it up and down, front and back, left and right.

The original owner had a cold, strong facial feature. Due to poor living conditions since childhood, she was thin and slender, and she got tanned after working as a construction worker for two years.

After Qingran transmigrated, this physical body was constantly nourished by his spiritual core and became more and more perfect. Now, she has a tall and well-proportioned figure, a slender waist and long legs. When she is still, she has a fairy-like appearance, but when she moves, she exudes a demonic aura.

Qingran glared at the newcomer: "Are you stupid?"

Wang Lei: "Hiss!" He exaggeratedly rubbed his arms and took a big step back, then solemnly said: "Don't look at me like that, this is my new girlfriend!"

God knows why he felt his good buddy's words and actions were seductive, let alone the way he flirted with him. This guy must be a succubus!

Qingran was too lazy to pay attention to his stupidity.

Seeing that he ignored him, Wang Lei became even more excited, circling around Qing Ran, questioning his existence while marveling at her.

"Hey bro, what happened to you? What magic pills did you take? Don't forget to call me if you get any extras."

Qingran: "I've just been staying in the deep mountains and forests for too long."

Which remote mountain forest could transform a spirited young man into a handsome man? It must be a blessed place to have this effect!

Wang Lei thought it was impossible, but he was also happy for his best friend. Being handsome is always an advantage over being average-looking.

He originally wanted to invite Lao Zhou to dinner and introduce his girlfriend to him, but now he has completely given up on that idea, afraid that the girlfriend he had in mind would slip away.

Let's talk about it when our feelings deepen.

Even if I don't know the people, I still have to say the good news. I stood still and cleared my throat.

Wang Lei: "Ahem, I have a girlfriend."

Qingran thought for a moment: "Congratulations?"

So indifferent, tsk tsk tsk, she's really putting on an idol image.

Wang Lei thought to himself, but said aloud, "I originally wanted to have a meal with you two and introduce you, but now that you've grown into such a bewitching creature, I'd better not."

"You should have heard of her, Li Yanmei from Class 3 next to our junior high school."

He and Zhou Qingran have a good relationship and say whatever comes to mind. He doesn't worry about getting angry if he doesn't introduce them.

Qingran wasn't angry at all, even though the reason was different from what Wang Lei had thought; he was simply uninterested.

I casually replied, "I know," and then asked, "Is this why you said you wanted to have dinner with me before?"

“Yeah,” Wang Lei nodded, “It just so happens that we’re here today, let’s have lunch together.”

Qingran: "I came with a friend."

"Who is it? Where is it?" Wang Lei looked around.

How could he not know Lao Zhou's circle of friends? There was no one else besides him. He wanted to see just who this so-called friend really was!

Qingran: "A friend I met online came to Xia Province on a business trip and wanted to see me. I'm at an internet cafe right now because I have something to do."

Oh, so it's an online friend.

Wang Lei glanced at the deserted entrance of the internet cafe: "Then let's invite him along. It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks."

Qingran thought for a moment: "I'll ask him when he comes out."

Wang Lei: "Okay."

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Hey, is your adoptive father better yet? If you need more money, just let me know, and I'll help if I can."

We were brothers after all, even though he didn't have much money... sigh...

Qingran was surprised to be asked this question, and calmly stated the facts: "She passed away three months ago."

"Huh?" Wang Lei was taken aback.

He passed away three months ago?!

He only learned about Lao Zhou's adoptive father's serious illness two months ago.

A classmate who had run into Lao Zhou at the hospital told him unintentionally that Lao Zhou had emptied his savings to treat his adoptive father's illness.

Wang Lei didn't dare to ask for details at the time, let alone verify with Lao Zhou. He emptied his pockets, gathered a thousand yuan, handed it to Lao Zhou, and deliberately ignored it.

So that's how it was back then...

Wang Lei sighed when he heard about his friend's background.

Other families might have a situation where the parents don't love the child, or even worse, the parents divorce. But Lao Zhou was simply adopted.

The person who adopted him had some mental issues; everyone who knew him called him "Zhou the Fool." Old Zhou was often ridiculed and bullied because of this when he was in school.

Things only improved after he fought back fiercely.

Why didn't Wang Lei dare to verify?

His family wasn't wealthy. If it were Old Zhou who was sick, he would sell himself or even his kidney to save him, but he couldn't afford the medical expenses for the simpleton who had no relatives to care about.

Rather than being caught in a dilemma by knowing too much, it's better not to know too much in the first place.

He and Lao Zhou have a good relationship, and to put it bluntly, this situation is a real relief for Lao Zhou.

Hospitals are bottomless pits!

"Please accept my condolences." Wang Lei offered a dry, comforting word.

Upon seeing a man dressed in a distinctive outfit emerge from the internet cafe, they immediately changed the subject: "Hey, isn't that your online friend?"

He knew in his heart that it couldn't be.

What's that saying again? Birds of a feather flock together. Old Zhou's friends must be like them: free-spirited and individualistic!

The man who came out was dressed in dress pants and leather shoes, exuding an aura of arrogance that suggested he owed eight million. So what if he's handsome? He's obviously just a pretentious person.

Then Wang Lei saw the pretentious man walk towards them.

His good friend Lao Zhou looked up and saw the person who had come. The person smiled charmingly at him and said, "Yes, it's him."

Wang Lei: "..."

No, aren't we from the same country?

Although somewhat intimidated by the man's cold demeanor, Wang Lei, who was so shocked he almost lost his bearings, still mustered the courage to confirm after the man approached:

"Are you really the online friend that Lao Zhou mentioned who came to see him?"

Netizens?

Yan Chen, who was staring at the curve of Qing Ran's lips, looked up at the person who spoke.

A note from the author: