The rain beat against the car window, and the wipers swiped twice as Guan Yue drove onto the road.
Tianhe said, “You still haven’t changed your car? Do you love this birthday gift that much?” He casually pressed a few buttons on the car’s audio system, and Beethoven’s “Pathetique Sonata” started playing, but he quickly turned it off again.
As the car merged onto the highway, Guan Yue suddenly asked, “You always wear an earpiece, are you waiting for someone’s call?”
“My boyfriend,” Tianhe replied.
In his earpiece, Prometheus reminded him, “Lying is not good. Why don’t you tell him that you still love him?”
Guan Yue passed a red light, turned the steering wheel, and increased the air conditioning temperature slightly. The rainy night, illuminated by dazzling car lights, was a perfect setting for reminiscing, and Tianhe couldn’t help but recall memories from the past.
Guan Yue came from a wealthy merchant family in Taiyuan, established after the liberation. The family background was naturally quite substantial, but compared to Tianhe’s noble lineage, they were merely nouveau riche.
The genealogy of the Wen family could be traced back to the Ming Dynasty’s cabinet, and its fame reached its peak during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. During the Republican era, Tianhe’s great-grandfather was among the first scholars to study abroad. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, his grandfather became a naturalized British citizen and a professor at Cambridge University. Later, he regained his Chinese citizenship and became a scientist who pioneered the field of computer engineering in China. He also made significant contributions to the “Two Bombs and One Satellite” project. In Tianhe’s father’s generation, Wen Yuankai excelled in both computer and finance fields, becoming one of the founders of quantitative trading software and China’s first quant trader. When Tianhe moved, he found old photos of his great-grandfather posing with Alan Turing, the father of computers.
Of course, the curse of “wealth not lasting for three generations” also fell upon the Wen family. Everyone appeared splendid on the surface, but the family’s status was slowly sliding downhill.
Both Tian Yue and Guan Yue felt the anxiety of inheriting their respective family legacies. Maintaining their social status was a challenge; getting rich was difficult, but squandering wealth was simple. If someone in the family turned out to be a prodigal, it would be easy for the family fortune to be squandered within decades.
In the past, Guan Yue maintained a respectful distance from Tianhe’s second brother, Wen Tianyue. He felt that Tianyue was too extravagant and obsessed with appearances. Tianhe often sided with his older brother in their disputes with Guan Yue, but in the end, Guan Yue’s predictions all came true.
Guan Yue knew that deep down, Tianhe took pride in his family’s background, and it was only natural. The aristocratic demeanor and superiority that came with this privileged status were precisely the “upper-class style” that Guan Yue disliked the most.
They arrived home, but the villa was in complete darkness.
“We’ve moved,” Tianhe said. “I forgot to tell you. We can’t afford to live here, and the house is up for auction.”
Guan Yue paused for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m staying at my childhood home for now. Let me guide you there,” Tianhe said with a smile.
Guan Yue drove out of the villa complex and said, “I remember.”
Tianhe said playfully, “I actually heard you apologize. It seems that the tides have turned, and today, it’s my turn to host you.”
Guan Yue was also in a daze today. He didn’t realize that driving Tianhe back home might be intrusive. It meant that Tianhe’s distressed situation of having his house auctioned would be exposed, and his pride might be shattered.
However, Tianhe’s personality was such that he didn’t mind his pride being hurt. In fact, he found it amusing to see Guan Yue’s poorly concealed guilt. On the way back to the old residence, Tianhe didn’t clarify, just waiting to observe Guan Yue’s subtle facial expressions. As expected, Guan Yue’s reactions amused Tianhe, and he felt a mischievous delight in his heart.
The car took another route, and both of them remained silent throughout the journey.
“Which auction house is it?” Finally, Guan Yue broke the silence.
“Hush, Mr. Guan, enjoy this rare moment of romance and maintain some mystery. You’ve exceeded your daily quota of talking,” Tianhe said.
“My mouth is attached to my body,” Guan Yue replied. “If I want to say something, I will. There’s no such thing as a daily quota.”
“Being quiet doesn’t mean awkwardness. There’s no need to talk just for the sake of talking,” Tianhe said.
With that, Guan Yue stopped talking.
Tianhe didn’t turn on the navigation system, but Guan Yue still accurately found the residential area where Tianhe had lived during his childhood.
“Goodnight.” Tianhe unbuckled his seatbelt and said to Guan Yue, “It was great to see you again, especially knowing that you’re doing well.”
Guan Yue squeezed the steering wheel and replied, “Me too.”
Tianhe got out of the car and walked into the building. The rain had stopped, and the entire city was clear. Guan Yue didn’t linger; he drove away.
“Mario,” Guan Yue said, then turned onto another road and headed towards the outer ring road.
The autodialer called the CFO’s number.
————
–Prometheus’s voice came through the earpiece, “Next, there is a 95% chance that he will go to the private racing track in Huangjiao, go crazy…”
Tianhe unlocked the door with his fingerprint and entered his home, saying, “I think you’ve gone mad. Not in the sense of being foolish, but literally. You shouldn’t have gone out in the rain. He gave up racing many years ago, because of my scolding. Prometheus, you need to update your information.”
–Prometheus: “But I still believe you should call him and remind him to take care of his safety.”
Tianhe sneezed and heard the mackaw in the darkness say, “Guan Yue’s is cold!”
“He’s not cold,” Tianhe saw that clean clothes were stacked outside the bathroom. “The CEO is living his life to the fullest. Prometheus, check the information on the people I’m meeting tomorrow.”
Prometheus began searching the names. Tianhe took off his clothes and looked at himself in the mirror. His fair and slender figure revealed distinct abdominal muscles. Under the hot water, he leaned against the shower wall and allowed the scalding water to wash over him, causing his eyes to sting.
That night, he indeed caught a cold, sleeping in a daze with one dream after another, taking him back to the time he spent with Guan Yue. He sat in his car, racing along the straight road in Huangshi Park, heading towards the endless skyline, and a place they could never reach.
The next day, after the autumn rain, the temperature dropped significantly overnight.
The vast lawns of Ronghe Ranch appeared as if they had been thoroughly washed. This ranch was one of the industries Wen Tianhe and Jiang Zijian’s fathers, as well as several local tycoons, invested in. Most of the time, the ranch operated at a loss. In the beginning, they kept over twenty horses brought from Berkshire. But the horses seemed out of place here, appearing lethargic and unenthusiastic, each one looking sickly.
Tianhe had visited the horses before and thought about either sending them back to Berkshire or finding a better place for them. But soon after, some shareholders who were in the coal mining business suggested keeping some cows on the ranch so that they could have their own milk to drink.
Other shareholders also proposed the idea of raising pigs and chickens for their own consumption. And so, Ronghe Ranch turned into a “QQ Farm” due to the constant suggestions from shareholders. After they started raising pigs, Tianhe seldom went there.
Jiang Zijian enjoyed most sports, including the equestrian world filled with the upper-class style of dressage. But he had no interest in dressing up amidst a bunch of squealing pigs, and eventually, he forgot about the horses.
“You don’t need to worry about Wu Shun,” Jiang Zijian said in a low voice to Tianhe as they changed their kneepads and put on helmets. “Just try to please Zhuo Yilong. He can help you, and he’s very generous.”
Tianhe glanced at the other side of the field, where a man in his thirties stood with a young man. The middle-aged man was the Vice President of Ronghui, Zhuo Yilong.
Tianhe said, “Ronghui’s Vice President, I understand.”
Jiang Zijian added, “Tone down your aggressive style a bit.”
Tianhe had caught a cold the previous night and had a fever. His head was still a bit fuzzy, and his feet felt like they were stepping on cotton. However, once he mounted the horse, the feeling came back to him. He took the mallet handed to him by the riding coach, clamped his long legs around the horse’s belly, and took the lead on the field. Jiang Zijian followed closely behind, patting the horse’s head.
The sky was clear and cloudless. On the other side of the mountain, beside Dian Guang Lake, Guan Yue stood on the grass on the golf course, dressed in a golf outfit. He slightly swung the club and hit the golf ball.
The CFO of Qingsong, nicknamed “Super Mario,” followed and hit the ball, sending it flying.
“…Wen Tianyue’s only goal is clear,” the CFO said, “to obtain financing for an IPO. I must admit that his approach was quite unconventional. It’s just that he was too confident in his abilities and, coupled with policy issues, played recklessly before the IPO.”
“If it weren’t for the rupture of the funding chain, maybe he could have succeeded. All we can say is that it’s fate…”
Guan Yue handed the club to the caddy, declined the golf cart, and walked uphill. The CFO followed, saying, “Epeus’s decision-making mistake is not just the one-year-old decision to enter the entertainment industry. The biggest problem lies in the super-server unit they rented. The developer of this unit is a leading technology company in the United States, with a hundred thousand processors that are rarely available for external rental. Moreover, it costs $1,440 per hour, which amounts to $12.5 million per year. This costs nearly 100 million RMB for the six-year lease…”
“…Theoretically, Wen’s family has diversified investments in various industries, and they shouldn’t have ended up like this. Real estate is just a small part; the most profitable investment is the commercial street. In addition, there is a chain of vacation inns and Ronghe Ranch, which is just opposite the golf course. You see, over there… They all rely on the income from the commercial street. Slow down, I haven’t exercised in a long time.”
Guan Yue slowed down a little, and the CFO struggled to keep up, panting while walking alongside him. He continued, “There’s a private club named ‘Jiangyue,’ exclusively for hosting banquets and private dinners. It was sold to hotel tycoon Jiang Chaosong in July. Two mobile game companies are barely surviving. The projects have not yet been released, but the cost is not high, only about seven or eight million per year. The handicraft workshops and private brands, although profitable, are relatively small in scale. Tianyue planned to invest casually, develop a few games for his own amusement, and, if successful, package them as boutique studios and sell them to big companies…”
Guan Yue stopped and started making his sixth shot. The CFO said again, “As for the company providing guarantees for loans, I think there should be inside information. It wasn’t just a momentary impulse by Wen Tianyue…”
The CFO found the ball, then hit it again, explaining, “The main business of the company is internet distribution and channel operations. Wen Tianyue believes that through strategic cooperation with them, he can first provide a guarantee for the loan using conventional means, then forcefully acquire the company. This can be turned into a compelling story and help boost the stock price after going public in the future.”
——
On the other side of the golf course, cheers erupted in the horse-riding area of Ronghe Ranch.
Tianhe mounted the horse, and once he held the mallet in his hand, all thoughts of the day’s business vanished from his mind. It had been a long time since he had played a game so freely and joyfully. The emotions he had accumulated over these days were released with the heat from the autumn sun and the wind brought by the galloping horses.
Back in college, his backhand shot was a unique skill at Cambridge. All opponents underestimated him when they saw him with his black hair, thinking that he was an easy opponent. But the way he handled the horse was far from genteel, it was wild and unrestrained, like riding a war horse on the Scottish Highlands, easily defeating his opponents.
Jiang Zijian joined the game and forgot for a moment that they were there for a reason, cheering loudly and cooperating with Tianhe’s movements on the field. Their two teammates were also in sync, playing smoothly with them.
Zhuo Yilong didn’t expect this tall and slim young man in his twenties to be so arrogant on the field. Their team was completely powerless against Tianhe, leaving him with an unpleasant expression. Jiang Zijian rode over and said to Tianhe, “Give him two points, Tianhe!”
Tianhe realized that he had mistaken Jiang Zijian for Guan Yue, and had rushed forward after mounting his horse. Jiang Zijian finally remembered the primary task and had to intentionally fall behind a little.
Wu Shun came over, smiled, and gave Tianhe a thumbs-up. He then turned his horse around, hit the ball with a mallet, and passed it to Zhuo Yilong. Tianhe stood tall in the saddle, slightly leaning forward, and charged towards their own goal. Zhuo Yilong circled around, and Tianhe suddenly pulled the reins, making a quick turn and flashing a smile at Zhuo Yilong.
Zhuo Yilong scored the first goal, and the players cheered. The referee signaled the end of the section.
Tianhe eased up on the techniques. His cold hadn’t gotten better, and he felt a bit dizzy. He was panting, and everything seemed hazy. Even his steps were a bit unsteady when he dismounted.
“You played too wildly,” Jiang Zijian said.
“That’s just how I am,” Tianhe replied.
Jiang Zijian patted his shoulder and said, “Take a break and have a chat with them. They seem to like you.”
Originally, the break between sections was only three minutes. However, Wu Shun and the vice president named Zhuo Yilong were already sitting at the outdoor tea house by the field, seemingly unconcerned about the rules of the match. Tianhe immediately lost interest, nodded, and went to join them, giving them a smile.
“I thought you would be very refined,” Zhuo Yilong laughed, “little gentleman.”
Tianhe smiled and said, “I used too much force in the first section. Excuse me.”
Wu Shun said to Zhuo Yilong, “That’s their ‘style’: refined off the field, wild beasts on the field. Like the England team playing soccer, they throw all their gentlemanly demeanor aside and charge like knights at a round table.”
Both Jiang Zijian and Tianhe laughed. Tianhe thought that might be the case because they hadn’t played against Guan Yue.
“I’ve met your brother,” Zhuo Yilong took a sip of his sports drink and pointed at Tianhe, “Your personalities are quite different. I heard from Zijian that Epeus is co-owned by you and him?”
Tianhe replied, “Most of the time, he was the one handling it.”
Zhuo Yilong said, “I actually wanted to invest in Epeus. Unfortunately, I never got a reply from your brother two years ago. He was too busy. With such a large family business, he couldn’t even find the time to meet for dinner. It was really difficult.”
Zhuo Yilong was not yet forty, and his words had a legal taste, suggesting more than what was actually said. Wu Shun just looked at Tianhe with amusement, while Tianhe sensed that Zhuo Yilong had some grievances with Wen Tianyue. In the most dominant years of his older brother, several companies competed to invest in Epeus. Some of them were not to Wen Tianyue’s liking, and although most of them were politely declined, it still offended quite a number of people.
With a smile on his lips, Wu Shun flicked the bottle with his finger, and his gaze shifted between Zhuo Yilong and Tianhe. Tianhe had been out of school for less than a year and was still getting used to the way people conversed in China. It was not hard to understand the underlying meanings behind Zhuo Yilong’s words, but interpreting the expressions of others was sometimes a bit difficult for him.
The young man named Wu Shun somehow caught Tianhe’s attention. As if it were an intuition, he felt like Wu Shun liked men—perhaps even had feelings for Jiang Zijian, with whom he seemed familiar.
Jiang Zijian laughed, saying, “Brother Zhuo is also busy. It took us a long time to arrange this game today.”
Wu Shun chimed in, “Busy preparing for the strategic press conference, I guess. Everyone’s talking about your company recently.”
“Oh,” Zhuo Yilong shook his head helplessly, “These strategic press conferences are all just monkey shows.”
Everyone laughed again, and Zhuo Yilong continued, “Busy with work during the day, and after work, I have to please my wife and take care of two kids. I’m not as energetic as you young people, there’s not enough energy to go around.”
As the conversation shifted to family matters, Jiang Zijian followed along and chatted with him, while Zhuo Yilong leisurely took out photos of his two sons from his phone. He showed them to Tianhe, and then asked, “Are you two married? When are you planning to get married? Has your brother gotten married?”
Tianhe smiled and shook his head. He knew that in Chinese social circles, it was common for people to ask whether you were married, when you would get married, how your family was, and how your wife and children were doing within just three sentences of meeting. He was prepared for this and didn’t mind answering, saying, “It’s only been a little over a year since I broke up. I haven’t moved on yet. I’ll see how it goes after some time. As for my brother… Well, he’s got a mess to deal with. It’s better to forget about marriage for now.”
Tianhe really liked the sister-in-law, who had caused quite a stir before they even got married. But it seemed that Zhuo Yilong wasn’t aware of Wen Tianyue’s past, so it was best not to say too much.
Zhuo Yilong said, “All the vows of eternal love in romance are nothing more than that.” He then began to share his own first love story from university. Tianhe found it awkward to discuss personal matters with someone he had just met. Unless they were very close, he wouldn’t tell others about his own love experiences. But since Zhuo Yilong was so keen on this topic, he had to listen patiently.
