Chapter 5

Zhou Chao, along with Lei Zi and Shu Lijuan, pushed open the door to the private room labeled “666” and found several people already seated inside. Class monitor Wang Wei was engrossed in a lively conversation with everyone when he noticed the door opening, revealing the arrival of three individuals.

“Lei Mingtang, Shu Lijuan, hey, Zhou Chao! When did you return to Fuzhou? We should have a good drink tonight. It’s been years since I last saw you. How have you been?” Wang Wei stood up and walked over, chatting as he made his way.

Standing next to Zhou Chao, Shu Lijuan opened her mouth, wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Zhou Chao smiled at the remark and replied, “Just dropped by for a visit since I had some time. But I’m thinking of hitting the road and exploring new horizons soon.” As he spoke, he sat down with Lei Mingtang.

Their old classmates chimed in, “Hey, you guys were among the few who made it to university. Unlike us, who entered society right after high school. Being a university student offers more opportunities.”

As everyone conversed, the door to the private room swung open, and in walked a tall beauty, standing at around 1.6 meters in a white dress, radiating charm and beauty.

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“Long time no see, everyone!”

“Wow, Xia Yuanyuan, it’s been years! You’ve become even more beautiful.” Wang Wei couldn’t help but stare at Xia Yuanyuan, captivated by her appearance.

“Cough cough, Wang Wei, control yourself. Your eyeballs are about to fall out,” Shu Lijuan, seated next to Wang Wei, whispered softly.

“Long time no see,” Xia Yuanyuan greeted Zhou Chao, her heart stirred by a whirlwind of emotions. During her time abroad, she had heard about his family’s situation. After all these years, she knew their relationship would never be the same.

“Long time no see!” Zhou Chao said with a calm gaze.

“How have you been these past few years?”

Looking at his former first love, Zhou Chao replied, “Not too bad. Managed to barely graduate from university. You went abroad, right? What made you decide to come back?”

“I studied finance abroad and graduated. Now I’m preparing to work in Fog City.”

“I see,” Zhou Chao responded absentmindedly. In his heart, he pondered that if he hadn’t obtained the system, as a computer science graduate from a local university, he might have ended up as a balding programmer at the age of 30 or running the small shop his parents left behind.

At that moment, the waiter started bringing in the ordered dishes and red wine.

“Clap clap!” Wang Wei stood up and clapped his hands twice. He said, “Classmates, this is our first reunion since high school graduation. Some of us are already working, while others have recently graduated from university. Nevertheless, let’s raise our glasses and toast to our youthful years.”

“To our youthful years! May our futures be prosperous!” Everyone raised their glasses and drank in unison.

The gathering continued with laughter and conversation, devoid of any pretentiousness or dramatic encounters that often unfold in novels. After all, in Fuzhou, a third-tier city, everyone knew each other well, and there was no need to flaunt wealth.

Time flies and before they knew it, it was already 9:30 PM. Zhou Chao glanced at his phone and exchanged a glance with Lei Mingtang. He spoke up, “You guys continue chatting. I’ll go to the restroom.” With that, he walked towards the exit.

“Hold on, I’ll join you.” Lei Mingtang followed suit.

“What’s up, Zhou Chao?”

“Nothing, I’m getting ready to leave. Thought I’d take you along.”

“You’re not going to say goodbye?”

“It’s alright. We can inform them in the group chat later.”

Zhou Chao and Lei Mingtang went downstairs and reached the hotel front desk. “Hello, how much is the total bill for the ‘666’ private room?”

“Hello, the total bill comes to 3,580 yuan!”

Zhou Chao took out his phone and made the payment. Lei Mingtang pulled Zhou Chao from behind and said, “Why did you pay all the money by yourself? Are you looking down on me?”

Zhou Chao smiled, turned around, and walked out of the hotel. He lit a cigarette, looked up at the night sky adorned with twinkling stars, then turned to his childhood friend Lei Mingtang and said, “I’m planning to return to Modu City. I probably won’t be back for a while. I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to see these old classmates again.”

“Have you made up your mind? When are you leaving? I thought you would stay in Fuzhou this time. It’s about time you ventured out on your own. If you encounter any difficulties, remember to call.”

Zhou Chao smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, once I succeed, I won’t forget you.”

The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

“Lei Zi, remember to inform them in the group chat. It’s not quite right that we left without saying a word.”

“Yes, I got it.”

Zhou Chao hailed a taxi and said to Lei Mingtang, “I’m heading back. I’ll come to pick up my car later. I had a few drinks, so I’ll drive tomorrow when I’m sober.”

Three days had passed since their last gathering. During those three days, Zhou Chao had checked in three times and received cash rewards each time. In total, he had accumulated 880,000 yuan in cash rewards. Adding that to his previous funds, he now had over 1.8 million yuan in his bank account.

Pondering for a moment, Zhou Chao took out his phone and called his Third Aunt.

“Third Aunt, I’m planning to return to Modu City.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I booked a flight for tomorrow afternoon.”

“Ah, be careful out there on your own!”

“I know. Third Aunt, I’ll bring the keys to the small shop and my Wuling Hongguang Mini EV to you later.”

“Why are you giving me the car keys? Keep them for yourself!”

“I’m leaving tomorrow, and I won’t need them anymore. You can use the car for grocery shopping, or when Xiaoyan, my little sister, graduates, you can let her learn to drive and use it.”

“Alright.” Zhou Chao hung up the phone, tidied up his home, and walked out with two sets of keys in hand.