Chapter 2

Moments was quickly flooded with posts. I smiled with satisfaction, the wound hurt quite a bit, and my smile was one part mocking, ten parts fierce. Then, with my shiny, swollen face, I drove to the hospital.

After the check-up, I bought a bowl of wontons from a street vendor, ate, and went home to sleep. Li Bin and I had been together for five years, but our finances were never too intertwined. We each had our own place, which felt especially precious after the breakup.

The next day, my face reached a new level of swelling, but I fearlessly went to the company.

The fight was already done, and since I refused to reconcile, I had to go to the company to confirm what impact this would have on my work.

I took the express elevator straight to the office. When the doors opened, I unexpectedly saw my boss, Qi Dong.

He was leaning against the secretary’s desk, tall and broad-shouldered, with striking features. Just by his looks, you’d think he negotiated all his business deals with his fists.

The secretary was nowhere to be seen. Qi Dong, with a stern face, looked me up and down, showing not the slightest hint of surprise.

After examining my sorry state, he calmly asked, “Lost or won?”

Amazing. Did I forget to block the big boss from my Moments last night?

I was puzzled, but didn’t hide anything-this was exactly why I came. I answered calmly.

“Won.”

“What did you win? Your mindset?”

…

Qi Dong is extremely skilled at coldly poking at people’s sore spots, and he loves to tear down others’ facades right to their faces.

His family made their fortune with a steel factory, but he chose IT instead, stirring up the industry with his sharp personality and solid technical skills.

He’s never been beaten up, probably because no one can beat him. With his fighting ability, he’s qualified to judge me.

Ignoring his sarcasm, I said seriously, “I don’t plan to reconcile. There’ll probably be a criminal record in my file.”

“So it’s hurting the enemy a thousand, but losing eight hundred yourself.”

…

“You just stood there and took the beating? Didn’t fight back? That’s not right.”

“But if it’s two weaklings pecking at each other, then it’s fine?”

…

“At least I didn’t lose.”

“Right. You could’ve destroyed him, but you chose to beat him to death.”

…

Qi Dong was unusually talkative today, which amused me. “You’re being so harsh-is it because I’ve affected your mood?”

Qi Dong was instantly speechless. He hadn’t expected that, under his sarcasm, I could turn it around and land a fatal blow. At this point, whether he denied or admitted it, it would only make things more obvious.

He stared at me, signaling with his eyes for me to get lost.

I asked again, “Boss Qi, will this affect my job?”

Qi Dong replied coldly, “Why didn’t you ask before you went to the Police Station?”

“I was busy fighting.”

“You sound pretty proud. I think you’re just fearless.”

Of course. In this company, no one in sales is as technically skilled as I am, and no one in tech can sell like me. Plus, working with Qi Dong, most people can’t handle his boundless energy.

He’ll negotiate deals in the morning and go skydiving in the afternoon; pull an all-nighter today and climb Mount Hua tomorrow. Sleeping six hours a day is him slacking off.

Even the secretary works in shifts, but I’m the only one in the Sales Department always on call. I have every reason to be fearless.

I’ve known Qi Dong for ten years. We were in the same major at the same school, and the reason my career spans so widely is all because of him.

Back in college, we barely interacted at first, until one day we got paired up for a group project.

Anyone who got into our school was smart enough, but even among all the top students, Qi Dong stood out.

Before we met, I’d heard rumors about him. After we met, I realized those rumors were shallow.

He had a strong sense of direction in his field, unique perspectives, and his predictions about industry trends were accurate seven or eight times out of ten. He wasn’t just smart-he was business smart, too!

From him, I saw a bright future. He was someone worth sticking with, and I decided to share both glory and hardship with him.

Student socializing starts with meals, so I began inviting Qi Dong to eat together often, and he never refused.

Our passion for learning extended from the classroom to the dining table. After more than three years as meal buddies, one day, I was eating a bowl of stir-fried pork with eggs over rice.

Chewing on a carrot slice, I heard him whisper in my ear, “I’m planning to start a business. Interested in joining me?”

I was instantly excited, almost moved to tears. I thought, Bro, I’ve been waiting for you for years.

But I kept chewing my carrot slice and asked casually, “Oh, so sudden?”

Qi Dong glanced at me, “Stop pretending. You’ve invested so many meals in me as a resource-don’t you want a return?”

“I do.”

“Then get ready.”

“Okay.” Amid my excitement, I was a bit curious and couldn’t help but ask, “Actually, a lot of people probably want to start a business with you, right?”

He replied plainly, “Others are after my body. You’re after my brain.”

I was shocked. “So, in your whole life, no one’s noticed you have brains?”

He rolled his eyes for the first time in his life. “No one can keep up with my brain.”

“That can’t be. When we did group projects, the pace was pretty smooth, wasn’t it?”

“That’s because you were there.”