After Cao Jinbo left, I sat alone on a bench opposite the inn, looking at the empty street. I felt quite bitter. After all, I had put my heart and soul into this place and seen hope. If it weren't for the intervention of intermediaries who disrupted the market, we would have been just a little bit away from building this commercial street.
Perhaps Jiulongju really is as sinister as the legends say, and its sinister nature is precisely reflected in our near miss... We were so close to success, but just as we were about to take the most important step, it collapsed like a building without any warning.
...
I lit a cigarette. Cao Xiaobei, who was in the inn, was also smoking. We were separated by only a deserted street.
I smiled at him first, then called out, "It's been a long time, let's come out and chat for a bit."
"I'm busy."
"The whole street is deserted, there's not a single person in sight. What can you possibly be doing?"
"I don't fucking want to talk to you, okay?"
"I have a pack of cigarettes I brought back from Shandong. I don't usually get to smoke them... I'm going out for a smoke."
Cao Xiaobei glanced at me but ignored me.
I then said to him, "Let's get serious... how's business at your inn?"
Cao Xiaobei came out of the inn, looked around, and said to me, "Do you know why my dad just scolded me?"
"You're asking this because it must be about the inn."
"Back then, the shops in Jiulongju were being sold for as much as 3 million yuan a unit. He wanted to sell the shops at that time, but I didn't agree. I insisted on opening a guesthouse... He keeps lecturing me about this now... But what did I do wrong? I just wanted to do something properly!"
"You know your dad, don't you? He's a businessman through and through, with a capitalist mindset... To put it bluntly, he's all about profit... So, you're definitely not wrong. Regardless of whether the inn business is done well or not, at least you're living for your dreams, and that already puts you ahead of others!"
I took the opportunity to tease Cao Jinbo, but unexpectedly, it earned me Cao Xiaobei's approval. He actually nodded and then reached out to ask me for a cigarette.
It seems that in the nearly one year since I left, he hasn't changed at all. He still has that same bad temper, completely oblivious to human suffering... He doesn't know that these days, people laugh at the word "dream" because no one believes that dreams can heal one's wounds... Cold-heartedness and cruelty are acceptable, so everyone is happy to call themselves a cold-hearted person, or simply "go" to be a cruel person.
Cao Xiaobei lit a cigarette, squinted and took a puff, then said to me, "The inn's business is actually not bad, but it's definitely not as profitable as selling shops... But not everything can be measured in money, right? He has to see my efforts over the past year."
“That’s right… If he scolds you about this again next time, just tell him that if he doesn’t let you strive for your dreams today, you can squander his entire fortune tomorrow… Let him choose for himself whether he wants you to be a person with dreams or a spendthrift… Anyway, I think that exchanging these shops in Jiulongju for an awakened successor is absolutely worth it!”
"That really resonated with me... Why didn't I think of saying these things to him?"
I smiled and replied, "That's because you didn't put yourself on an equal footing with him... You're a little afraid of him, and you think that by raising your voice, you can cover up the truth that you're afraid of him. But reason is never something that can be shouted out... You first need to calm down to truly see where your strengths lie."
Cao Xiaobei nodded, and after a long while said to me, "You're a smart person, that's why Sisi likes you... I never understood before, I felt that you were inferior to me in every way... Actually, I'm far inferior to you. You can play with everyone in Jiulongju, but I can't even handle my own father!"
After a brief silence, he continued, "I thought that by keeping Sisi working at the inn and giving her more money, she would feel at ease... But you quietly earned several million for her. Of course she'll like you, because you're the man who can give her a sense of security!"
Cao Xiaobei's words are certainly biased, but I can still see his growth. At least he is willing to face some things squarely, instead of being like before, wanting to fight me when I mention his sore spots, or even if he doesn't fight, he'll still yell at me.
I thought he hadn't changed, but actually even he has changed.
I exhaled the smoke heavily from my mouth and finally spoke to him, saying, "What you said is both right and wrong. To put it bluntly, Jiulongju's business is just a capital operation. Those with foresight have made money. There's no question of anyone outmaneuvering anyone else."
Cao Xiaobei looked up into the distance and then replied, "I'm not concerned about Jiulong Residence... I just want to ask, will you be with Sisi? It's been a year, and so many people are pursuing her, but she's still single. We all know who she's doing this for."
I remain silent.
Cao Xiaobei added, "Don't worry... I promise I won't fall out with you this time."
"Who knows what the future holds!"
...
After leaving Cao Xiaobei's place, I wandered around the ancient city for a while, and before I knew it, it was noon... I called Xiao Song from the car dealership and asked him to get me a car. Before Yu Tou delivered my Jimny, I still needed a car for convenient travel.
Ever since I bought a BMW 740li, Xiao Song has treated me like a big shot. Even though I told him beforehand that I would only need it for two or three days, he still sent me a BMW Z4. He said that only this car matches my current status.
I invited Xiao Song to stay for a meal, and the two of us chatted for a while. Before we knew it, it was already afternoon.
Cao Jinbo said that Ye Zhi arrived in Dali in the afternoon, and must have arrived by now... But so what? I still won't go to social events with her as Cao Jinbo thinks... We have to be like this, even if our bodies are only a millimeter apart, we have to pretend we can't see each other.
...
After Xiao Song left, I went to see a few more friends, but I always felt a sense of emptiness and aimlessness. This was inevitable, as I couldn't possibly jump into work mode on my first day back in Dali. I needed some time to adjust.
However, this feeling of emptiness made me increasingly irritable... to the point that I couldn't concentrate when chatting with others, and I couldn't concentrate when I was silent either, always letting my mind wander in all directions.
What's wrong with me?
...
In a daze, dusk fell. Alone in my inn room, I felt anxious again, as if I had nowhere to go. I forced myself to sleep for a while, but as soon as I closed my eyes, my mind was filled with Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and I felt trapped.
But I don't want to go out because the world outside the window is gloomy, and there might be a heavy rain later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
