After learning the other party was from Shen Corporation, Li Kaixing eagerly dragged a plastic chair to the doorstep. “The place is a mess. Let’s talk right here. Real pros never complain about their environment.”
Qi Xu sat down, taking in Li Kaixing’s living conditions.
A typical one-room rental with shared bathroom, kitchen, and balcony. The hallway was lined with half-dry, dripping clothes.
In his previous life, the multinational project in his hands had finally signed a contract. This was also the first time Qi Xu fully took over a Shen project without Shen Fengkai’s interference.
Back then, Li Kaixing was as happy as a kid. At the office, he mimicked tossing exam papers after the college entrance test, throwing contracts in the air—only to have to crouch and pick them all back up himself.
Li Kaixing was the top member of his team, personally interviewed and offered a job by Qi Xu. He had been mentored directly, worked alongside him, pulling all-nighters, treating the office like a second home.
One week before everything went wrong, Li Kaixing had driven him here. The car stopped by the roadside; Li Kaixing rolled down the window, cigarette between fingers, and pointed at a new office building. “Mr. Qi, the entrepreneurial success I told you about five years ago was just interview talk—a lie to impress you. The studio never got funding, declared bankruptcy, and I moved back here. I was down and out for half a year, barely affording rent. My parents wanted me to go back home.”
“I was ready to give up until I accidentally saw Shen Corporation’s recruitment announcement. After college, the first company I interviewed at was Shen. Your dad didn’t hire me, so I thought I’d visit old places before leaving for good. At least it was a proper ending.”
He smiled like someone who had finally seen light after a long storm. “Who knew five years later your son would give me a seven-figure salary offer as project director.”
Qi Xu twirled an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “I knew you didn’t succeed in starting your own business. Otherwise, why would a boss come work for me?”
Li Kaixing wasn’t surprised by Qi Xu’s words. “As expected of you. Hey, have you ever thought about going solo one day? You’re stuck at Shen, can’t fully show your skills. I follow you—we start a business together. How about a husband-and-wife team?”
Li Kaixing often joked like this. Usually, it was just playful banter.
Qi Xu lowered his gaze, missing the seriousness in Li Kaixing’s eyes. “We’ll see.”
In the end, he still didn’t light the cigarette because Qi Xu planned to quit smoking.
Li Kaixing grabbed a small stool and sat opposite Qi Xu, thinking, This guy looks even younger than me—could he really be from the Shen Corporation?
“Um, what’s your position at Shen Corporation?”
Qi Xu pulled back his gaze and said, “I’m the president’s son.”
Li Kaixing was startled, and the little stool wobbled beneath him—he nearly bumped his head on the floor.
“Master Shen!”
Qi Xu corrected him, “My name is Qi Xu.”
Li Kaixing didn’t press further, assuming Qi Xu took his mother’s surname, and repeated, “Young Master Qi!”
Hearing the title again, Qi Xu felt a mix of emotions. After he died, Li Kaixing would probably resign from Shen and use the savings he’d been putting aside to start a new business. With his experience, this time he would definitely succeed.
“During the interview, you mentioned you were preparing a project. Could I take a look at your proposal?”
Li Kaixing fully believed Qi Xu was from Shen Corporation this time, since he really had said that in the interview.
He eagerly went inside to grab his laptop, trailing the charger behind him. “Here it is. Take a look.”
Qi Xu recalled hearing about Li Kaixing’s startup focus—Internet-related. Ten years ago, the Internet was already dominated by big companies. Small startups trying to break in would definitely face backlash and it was nearly impossible to go from zero to one. But ten years later, the Internet would experience a big boom, with many new opportunities blooming.
Drawing on his extra ten years of experience, Qi Xu pointed out some flaws in the project in simple terms. Li Kaixing immediately felt enlightened. “No wonder you’re heir to a big company.”
Finally, he asked again, “So, will I be working for you personally, or for the company?”
Qi Xu replied, “I’m hiring you in a personal capacity. This has nothing to do with Shen Corporation.”
Li Kaixing understood. A trust-fund kid striking out on his own — even if he wasn’t working inside the big company, working for its heir was almost the same thing.
“May I ask, Young Master Qi, how much startup capital do you have?”
“Eight million,” Qi Xu said.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and saw a bank deposit notification. He added, “Now it’s ten million.”
Li Kaixing was speechless. So, two million to you young masters is just pocket change?
“Why are you so confident investing ten million in a complete stranger? What makes you sure I’ll succeed?”
Qi Xu didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at Li Kaixing—fresh out of college, still inexperienced, yet his eyes were full of hope for the future.
He was full of energy, not yet hardened by late nights and bad habits.
“Your talent shouldn’t be buried in this Internet boom. I know you don’t want to work for others; you want to carve out your own path. I just happened to notice your ability. Of course, no one can predict the future, but how will you know if you don’t try?”
Having just been rejected in an interview, while all his classmates celebrated getting hired by big companies on social media, Li Kaixing spent lonely nights in his tiny city apartment, anxious and doubting himself—Am I really that bad?
Now, out of nowhere, someone appeared, believed in him, and sincerely said: Your skills are impressive. I want to move forward into the future together and build something of our own.
It was like a wedding vow of “I do”—heart-stirring.
Li Kaixing felt deeply moved and spoke with determination, “Young Master Qi, rest assured, I won’t let you down. I’ll multiply that ten million for you…”
Just then, the food delivery guy arrived, though late, rushing upstairs.
“Sorry, there was an accident at the intersection, and I had to call the police. It delayed me.”
Li Kaixing took the delivery bags with both hands. “No worries, thank you for your hard work.”
After seeing the delivery guy off, Li Kaixing politely asked Qi Xu, “Have you eaten? Let me treat you.”
Qi Xu didn’t refuse. “I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, thank you.”
In the previous life, Li Kaixing had been the one paying for him a lot—this time he decided to act first.
Li Kaixing thought, How can you accept a meal from someone who has to pay for takeout in installments?
One delivery wouldn’t be enough for two people, so Li Kaixing hurried down to a restaurant and ordered two extra dishes.
So there they were, each holding a box of rice, using a suitcase as a makeshift table, with two meat dishes and one vegetable dish.
Li Kaixing thought Qi Xu would just nibble out of politeness, but he actually ate even more enthusiastically.
After lunch, they exchanged contact info to keep in touch online.
Li Kaixing stood in the hallway on the third floor and waved to Qi Xu downstairs. “See you next time.”
Qi Xu silently waved back and got into a taxi, which drove away.
Li Kaixing suddenly shouted toward the sky, “Ah—today’s moon is really not as beautiful…”
Before he finished, a baby cried next door. A woman opened her door and shouted angrily, “Are you crazy? The sun’s up—where’s the moon? The baby just fell asleep, why are you yelling like that?”
Li Kaixing immediately apologized and slinked back into his apartment.
—
In the past few days, everyone in the Shen family had their attention on Shen Zeyu’s college entrance exam scores, so no one cared about Qi Xu.
The two million was a reward Shen Zhuohai gave Shen Zeyu for his exam results. There was no physical gift—probably to avoid upsetting Shen Zeyu if he saw it.
After breakfast each day, Shen Zeyu would disappear. One morning Qi Xu woke early and heard Shen Zeyu urging Shen Fengkai to hurry out.
“Bro, hurry up. Ah Huai wants to discuss college applications with me.”
“You two see each other every day, no need to rush.”
“No, he’s really busy. He still has to help Uncle Xie at the company.”
The Shen couple had asked Qi Xu about the college application plans. At this point in the previous life, Qi Xu already knew his situation and chose computer science to hide his ambition.
After graduation, since Shen Zeyu went abroad to study with Xie Huai, Shen Zhuohai let Qi Xu start from the bottom at Shen Corporation to “train his abilities.”
Qi Xu spent six years working his way up from the bottom to become a vice president at Shen Corp., fighting fiercely with Shen Fengkai over shares—only to see the carefree Shen Zeyu end up with half the shares.
Now when they asked him about his college choice, Qi Xu said right at the dining table, in front of everyone, “Q University’s Financial Management program.”
The atmosphere turned strange; no one said a word, as if Qi Xu had just announced some major event. But really, it was just a college application.
Shen Zeyu felt like thunder had just struck him. He thought Qi Xu wouldn’t dare, that he would keep it under wraps. He never expected this wild kid from Qi Family Village to openly challenge him.
Qi Xu’s arrival hadn’t changed Shen Zeyu’s situation. His family’s love remained untouched, old friends from his circle still kept in contact, thanks in part to the public announcement that “Qi Xu and Shen Zeyu are both children of the Shen family.”
Also because he still had the Shen surname and lived in the capital Shen household—not in Qi Family Village.
Qi Xu really thought he could take something from him? Shen Zeyu had lived in the Shen family for 18 years, knowing everything inside and out. It looked free and easy, but behind every door there were strict rules and restrictions.
At the top was the Shen family eldest son, Shen Fengkai. So go ahead and try—let’s see what you can snatch in the Shen family.
The Shen couple didn’t try to persuade Qi Xu to change his choice. They just smiled and said it was nice the two brothers would have each other for school.
That night, they had Shen Zeyu’s favorite Western meal to celebrate his final decision.
The head chef from a starred Western restaurant personally came to cook dinner for the family.
On the table were exquisite pure silver knives and forks, and the servants had already served the first dish.
Shen Zeyu expertly picked up his knife and fork, elegantly cutting his food. The silverware made no sound against the porcelain plate. His movements were more polished than ever, showing the dining etiquette he had been trained in over the years.
He casually glanced at Qi Xu, who was playing with the knife and fork but hadn’t started cutting his food—clearly not knowing how to use the utensils.
After today, people would gossip about the real young master’s manners. Even if he had the bloodline, so what? The Shen family wanted a perfect young master who was impressive, not one who simply had the right last name.
At 18, Qi Xu glanced at how the others held their cutlery and tried to imitate them. But since he’d never been taught table manners, his knife and fork scraped loudly against the plate.
The Shen family fell silent, exchanging uneasy looks. Shen Zeyu sneered mockingly. Qi Xu abruptly threw down his knife and fork and left the table with a fierce aura.
Later, he overheard the servants talking.
“The kids raised at home properly still hold themselves well. He doesn’t even know how to use a knife and fork—it’s embarrassing to watch.”
“It’s no wonder he’s not favored by Mr. and Mrs. Shen. He’s rude and uncultured. Young Master Zeyu has grace. If it were me, I’d spoil Young Master Zeyu too.”
Qi Xu put down his cutlery and said to a servant nearby, “Get me a pair of chopsticks.”
At this point, Qi Xu really didn’t know how to use Western utensils. Having died once, he wasn’t going to waste time on this little insult, but he did notice the way they looked at him like he was some kind of spectacle.
Well, if they won’t keep up appearances, then he wouldn’t either. There was nothing shameful about that.
Shen Zeyu seemed surprised by Qi Xu’s move and said, “Chopsticks aren’t proper etiquette at a Western dining table.”
“Oh? No one ever taught me that,” Qi Xu looked up at him. His eyes were cold enough to become solid ice. “Then by your logic, isn’t talking to me also improper etiquette? ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full’ and ‘don’t speak while eating’?”
Shen Zeyu’s face flushed red and he snapped, “You—”
Shen Fengkai interrupted them with a sharp order: “Give him the chopsticks.”
The servants quickly placed chopsticks in front of Qi Xu. He skillfully picked up a scallop and ate it without saying another word during the meal.
Shen Fengkai lowered his head, hiding the displeasure in his eyes.
