He took out a file folder from the drawer, containing five or six pages of information about Zhou Qishen. Meng Weixi read it over and over again, and had to admit that Zhou Qishen was a capable man. Alone and without support in Beijing, it was truly exceptional that he had built such a business empire. His reputation in his earlier years wasn't good; he was known for being obsequious and subservient, and for allegedly having an affair with the daughter of a certain leader in order to climb the social ladder.
Rumors are just rumors, and it's unclear whether they're true or not.
The information mostly focused on his rise to wealth, with very little details about the five years following his true success. The last page contained only a few lines: "Divorced in 2017. He has not had a serious female companion since."
Meng Weixi held the paper in her hand, then crumpled it up and threw it heavily to the ground.
Today's incident wasn't a huge deal, but it wasn't insignificant either. The main problem was that Zhou Qishen genuinely didn't care and didn't bother dealing with the aftermath. Just a few hours later, news reached his ears that Chairman Sun of Great Wall Industry was unhappy and harbored resentment towards him, saying that young people these days were becoming increasingly arrogant. It seemed they were waiting for Zhou Qishen to give them an explanation.
Zhao Xiyin was trying to find some peace and quiet in the restroom, not wanting to waste time arguing with Qin Ge and his group. When she came out, she found the scene in complete chaos and was completely bewildered. Later, two other girls from the troupe vividly described what had happened.
"They really shoved people's heads into the soup pot, their whole faces went down, their faces were all rotten, covered in festering blisters."
"He's a relative of the owner of a large corporation, and I've heard he's quite influential."
"The man who hit the other was surnamed Zhou, and he was a very handsome guy. The reason? I don't know, maybe he said something wrong."
Zhao Xiyin appeared calm on the surface, but went home with a heavy heart. She didn't go inside the apartment complex, instead circling the flowerbeds. Just as she was about to lose her senses, she convinced herself to squat in a corner and send a WeChat message to Gu Heping.
"Brother Heping, have you eaten?"
It's almost midnight, and this content is getting really exciting. Gu Heping was nestled in Lao Cheng's teahouse, drinking tea. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyelids and glanced at Zhou Sansui, who was sitting on the sofa next to him, applying medicine to herself. She looked so happy.
Gu Heping replied, "We can have another meal, little Zhao. Are you treating me to dinner?"
After replying, he casually said to Lao Cheng, "Tsk, what a windfall! My sister is treating me to dinner."
Old Cheng was wearing a long black apron, a sleeveless white vest, and a mechanical Pikachu tattoo on his left arm. He had a neat buzz cut, and a lightning bolt shaved two fingers above his ear. He was brewing tea, adding two mint leaves with small tweezers, and slowly asked, "Which sister of yours?"
"My little Zhao sister."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qishen, who was applying medicine, raised his hand and threw three cotton swabs at her. "Don't you ever learn? Your sister's surname is Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang, one of the Hundred Family Surnames, but not Zhao."
Gu Heping was convinced. "Isn't your possessiveness a bit abnormal?"
Old Cheng laughed and said, "I knew you'd still provoke him."
Gu Heping handed over his phone. "She really is sending me a WeChat message."
Old Cheng craned his neck to take a look.
"Look, it was posted two minutes ago. Did you call me Brother Heping? — Oh my god!" Gu Heping was startled halfway through his sentence. The man who was sitting on the sofa just now appeared next to him as if from another dimension, expressionless, his face close to the screen.
Gu Heping grumbled at him, "Brother Zhou, can't you say something?"
Zhou Qi glanced at him sideways, "You're not worthy."
Gu Heping moved his phone away, and Zhou Qishen's face followed, then further away, then closer still. Old Cheng was practically laughing his head off. "Are you two crazy?"
Gu Heping raised his long arm and said in a serious tone, "Come on, Brother Zhou, lift me up high."
Zhou Qishen couldn't help but laugh too.
The playful banter between men can sometimes be quite childish, but the three of them were known as the "Iron Triangle" back in the army. Gu Heping's family had a patriotic background, Lao Cheng was mysterious, and Zhou Qishen excelled in his duties—each one outstanding. Their bond, forged through life and death, truly lasts a lifetime.
At this moment, three heads huddled together in a circle, three pairs of eyes fixed on the phone screen.
Zhao Xiyin's status message read: "The other party is typing..."
The input status changed several times, but not a single word was sent.
Zhou Qishen's brows furrowed, forming a deep frown, as if he were tense.
Gu Heping suddenly roared, "Whoa!!"
His ears were ringing, and his heart skipped a beat. Already holding his breath in tension, Zhou Qishen was made dizzy by the shout. He kicked out, "Gu Heping, you bastard, do you want a beating?!"
"No, no, no!" Old Cheng laughed until his eyes were wet, gesturing for the two of them to keep their voices down. "Zhao Zhao is sleeping upstairs, don't wake her up."
Zhou Qishen sat back down on the sofa with a stern face. Gu Heping didn't dare to go too far, and after a while, he showed him his phone, asking with a smile, "Have you adjusted your mood yet?"
Zhao Xiyin replied: "Is he hurt anywhere?"
Zhou Qishen maintained a stiff expression, showing no emotion whatsoever.
Gu Heping was baffled. "He can still put on a sour face? Unbelievable."
As soon as the person left, Zhou Qishen lowered his head slightly, and a faint arc appeared at the corners of his mouth and eyes.
"He's fine, just burned the back of his hand. Don't worry, Xiaoxi, he's seen a doctor."
Gu Heping was sensible and pragmatic, and dared not truly worry the young lady.
Zhao Xiyin breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the message. Afraid he might misunderstand, she considered explaining but then decided against it; why bother trying to cover it up? She squatted on the ground, lost in thought, and picked up a small stick, aimlessly drawing circles.
While drawing, it suddenly dawned on me that I was writing the character "周" (Zhou).
Zhao Xiyin's heart pounded. She abruptly stood up and smoothed out the marks with the sole of her shoe. Then she heard Zhao Wenchun shout from the window, "Zhao Xiyin, what are you doing squatting in the corner?"
Zhao Xiyin replied, "I'm sprouting." Then she ran away like a thief.
As soon as she entered the building, she saw five or six large watermelons on the floor. Zhao Xiyin walked over and patted each one, saying, "Dad, you bought some good watermelons today."
"Ah, I didn't buy it." Zhao Wenchun hesitated for a moment and said, "Aunt Wang from the next building gave it to me."
"Aunt Wang?" Zhao Xiyin thought for a moment and vaguely remembered her. To be precise, she lived in the building behind the building. Zhao Xiyin sometimes bumped into her on the street, but she was a bit face-blind and couldn't quite remember who was who. Every time, Aunt Wang would take the initiative to greet her warmly.
Seeing her constantly patting the watermelon, Zhao Wenchun chuckled and asked, "What insights have you gained from patting it?"