Chapter 657: Young Master Cao’s Entrepreneurial Journey

The beauty at the light drinks spot indeed abounds, dressed to thrill, giving men a visceral throwback to Elder Tang entering the Spider’s Cave.

Then there are the sultry, sophisticated office ladies often clad in stockings, legs pressed together sitting at the bar, heels half-off, playfully dangling.

Young Master Cao dared not look, nor did Ren Ziqiang glance aside, but Zhang Guangfa and Zhou Chao watched freely, the unrestrained and carefree aura of bachelors about them.

“Old Jiang, you claim to be single every day, why don’t you dare look?”

“Who says I don’t dare?”

“Then take a look, from Chao’s expression, I can tell, it seems very smooth.”

“Get lost, I’m just simply not interested.”

Jiang Qin pulled a bluffing face and pressed the service bell, ordered a heap of dinner that made Young Master Cao deeply feel the perils of human hearts.

After a hearty meal, the group moved to the billiard table to play, Jiang Qin truly bad at the game, cursing that Cao Guangyu’s billiard table was biased against him.

Feng Nanshu curiously watched from the side, each time Jiang Qin got mad at an opponent scoring, she’d show a fiercely cute expression behind him, cheering for her brother.

Soon after, the little rich girl with a dramatic “Oh no” gets pulled by Jiang Qin to the corner with arcade machines.

By 2012, these had fallen out of fashion, valued more for nostalgia than for playability.

However, during Jiang Qin’s elementary school days, web games were all the rage, even King of Fighters was ported over, and he’d play occasionally with his cousin during vacations.

He never memorized combo charts when gaming; his only strategy was button mashing, hit it right, and his ultimate move would go off, then he’d smirk as if everything was according to plan.

If he couldn’t launch any significant moves yet still won, it’d feel like ‘I don’t need specials, basic attacks are enough to defeat you’.

“It’s been a while, I’ll pick this character, the one with the exposed thighs and prominent chest.”

Jiang Qin maneuvered the joystick, moving the selection box to Mai Shiranui.

Feng Nanshu: “?”

“What’s the matter, can’t I choose a game character? I’m choosing this one.”

Feng Nanshu picked Chun-Li, rapidly pressed the controls and began pummeling Jiang Qin’s ‘prominent chest character’.

Jiang Qin hissed, relieved he hadn’t succumbed to the stockings temptation at the bar earlier, otherwise this jealous fit might have turned deadly.

Chun-Li’s kicks are formidable, but the little rich girl’s dainty feet are not to be underestimated either.

You’d then see headlines like ‘Group-buy Madame Jiang mercilessly beats Group-buy Boss Jiang at Shallow Drinker Bar.’

Feng Nanshu happily thrashed Mai Shiranui and then forced her brother to switch characters, eyes gleaming, she waggled at Jiang Qin indicating she wanted to continue playing.

Jiang Qin dropped another coin in, letting the little rich girl dominate him again, he could not help but pout seeing her delighted ‘Wuhu’ expression.

So simple to please, just a game and she’s happy.

Boss Jiang watching Chun-Li cheer on screen thought it seemed he had encountered every sci-fi scenario imaginable in his life.

Rebirth was sci-fi enough, yet the idea Feng Nanshu liked him felt even more fantastical.

This lovely lady, stunning yet clingy without many demands, happy just to be with him.

Whether playing games or watching TV, or even just sitting together was good enough, so easy to please.

It was so wonderful he had to pinch her moist cheeks sometimes to confirm she really was his, desiring only his affection which comforted Jiang Qin, not making it feel like a dream.

People are like that, hesitant to reach for precious things, fearful of losing them once held close.

Jiang Qin chin propped in his palm, watched her pick another character as if he could count every eyelash.

The little rich girl, more adorable when lost in entertainment, those lovely eyes reflecting the screen colors like shining, mysterious jewels.

“I’ll pick this one.”

Feng Nanshu chose Iori Yagami then realizing Jiang Qin hadn’t picked yet, turned to see him staring, her lips forming a tight line.

Jiang Qin snapped back, squinting, “Why pick him? Think he’s handsome?”

“This one, kind of reminds me of you in high school.”

Feng Nanshu softly spoke, causing a slight pause in Jiang Qin’s expression.

Iori Yagami was replete with an eye-concealing long hairstyle somewhat edgy in a non-mainstream way; Boss Jiang remembered discussing such old memories when revisiting his relocated old high school with the little rich girl.

During their high school days, Feng Nanshu never spoke to him but reportedly wanted to lift his fringe every time to see his fresh eye.

Jiang Qin’s mouth twitched, musing over his recalled high school embarrassments, so he quickly picked the worst option, Goenitz with the sweeping broom hair: “No mercy this time, although I dote on you, some things need moderation.”

“!”

A minute and a half later, Jiang Qin, a bit breathless, watched Goenitz get knocked down: “Forget it, not playing anymore, you have beginner’s luck.”

Feng Nanshu huffed and left her seat, following Jiang Qin around curiously peering everywhere, briefly greeting Xie Ziyi and others.

Xie Ziyi and group had recently finished the drama ‘Loving You in the Name of Friendship’, some still doubted Group-buy Jiang Qin could be so romantically inclined, but now it seemed he really was.

A man who could make markets tremble with a stomp, so childlike when playing with his lady.

Meanwhile, back in the private room, a good friend discovered Wang Haini had returned, clutching a paper filled with numerous numbers.

Jiang Qin sat opposite, watched as she opened QQ on her phone, entering each number, adding a dozen QQ accounts.

Names like ‘A Drifting Kiss’, ‘Vagabond Youth’, ‘Blood-soaked Dust’…

Jiang Qin looked at Wang Haini: “Aren’t you planning to date seriously?”

“I take every relationship seriously, but they promise to be good friends and then turn frivolous the next day.”

“…”

Shallow Drinker soon became the regular hangout for Jiang Qin and his group; after handling work at the company, he’d bring Feng Nanshu there to relax, eat, and drink, but never paid.

As Jiang Qin put it, paying would mean not treating you as a brother.

Cao Guangyu was numbed, failing to understand why he could comprehend ‘dog talk’, then he realized why his father mentioned how tough doing business was, it’s meant for others to hear.

“Old Jiang, business is tough, cut back on your visits, look at you, you’ve gotten fat, didn’t see you this heavy in all four years of college!”

“What can I do, the little rich girl likes coming here, you try telling her not to.”

After finishing his steak, Jiang Qin handed him a business card: “Chen, a net café owner in Shanghai, if you really want to buy the next-door shop, call him for some advice, though I think there’s no need for such a big move.”

Cao Guangyu took the card: “If it’s not big, how do I show off?”

“Are you running a brothel?”

“?”

“In business, you can’t be short-sighted, tell me, what will you do when Ding Xue has to work in a big city later? How will you manage?”

“I can hire someone to run this shop, wherever Ding Xue goes, I’ll open another there, I’m a second-generation rich, I have the money.”

Jiang Qin glanced at him: “Tsk, just following your wife around, call yourself a rich second generation, no ambition!”

As he spoke, Feng Nanshu, who was upstairs watching dramas with Ding Xue and Wang Linlin, peeked out, calling softly ‘Brother’, and Jiang Qin immediately put down his chopsticks and hurried over.

Cao Guangyu chuckled, musing that everyone was whipped by their wives, yet big brother had the nerve to criticize him, the shamelessness.

In the following period, old classmates frequently visited, giving Young Master Cao many chances to show off publicly.

For instance, Song Qingqing and Jiang Tian came in a group, entering with praises for Young Master Cao’s explosively muscular chest.

Song Qingqing hadn’t started working yet but was preparing to take exams for a government job next year, seeking a secure position wasn’t a bad choice given she wasn’t short of money.

Jiang Tian smoothly settled into her studies in Kyoto, occasionally dining with local Fan Shuling.

Old classmates are like that, even if not close before, coming from the same place to a strange land enhances the sense of kinship.

They also discussed the Cloud Flash Pay initiative, Jiang Tian’s university was part of its rollout, envisioning a classmate changing the world felt truly unparalleled.

Gao Wenhui also visited often, always with her laptop, while others played pool or watched movies, she’d type away looking somewhat pitiable.

In the early winter as cold air struck, Cao Guangyu and Zhou Chao moved to Fenghua Li Community.

Humans are social animals, naturally flocking together.

That evening, Ding Xue and Wang Linlin rushed over, calling Jiang Qin and the others for a hotpot gathering.

After university graduation, everyone dispersed, having a sense of dormitory living again felt quite magical.

“Old Cao, more and more people here, buy more stools, can’t all fit.”

“Ding Xue bought some, been a week, still not delivered.”

“Online shopping?”

“Yes, isn’t it the Double Eleven shopping festival? Their ads are nearly plastered on my face.”