Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

Chang Chenghu was incredibly shrewd. He grinned and said, "Thanks to Brother Qi, the foot traffic in the university town is good. Business is decent every night, and it's basically packed on weekends."

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, the group did not linger in the lobby.

Cheng Du took the initiative to step aside and lead the way, heading towards the inner staircase.

"Tongwei, let's go to a private room on the second floor. It'll be quiet there."

The hallway lighting was dim.

Qi Tongwei stepped onto the stairs. "Chengdu, where's Ruilong?"

Cheng Du smiled and said, "The caterpillar went up a long time ago and is staying in the private room."

He said he had a surprise for us tonight.

Zhao Ruilong is a spoiled and arrogant young man who does whatever he pleases.

Most of the tricks they come up with are outrageous.

Qi Tongwei raised an eyebrow slightly, a playful smile flashing in his eyes.

"surprise?

Please don't let it frighten you.

Cheng Du chuckled upon hearing this, "We'll find out when we get up there what this caterpillar is up to."

The two walked to the end of the corridor, where the door to the private room on the left was tightly closed.

Cheng Du raised his hand and gently pushed open the door.

A figure stood straight in front of the window.

Zhao Ruilong took off his designer suit and was not wearing a luxury watch.

Instead, he was wearing an old-fashioned military uniform, the fabric of which was somewhat rough and patched.

A military cap was worn neatly on his head, covering his signature slicked-back hair.

On the right side of his chest hung a gleaming military medal.

There was no frivolous or irresponsible behavior, no cynicism.

At this moment, Zhao Ruilong stood with his back straight, shoulders taut, and posture perfectly upright.

He raised his right hand crisply and cleanly.

It's just a standard salute.

"Good morning, Platoon Leader!"

Loud and crisp.

Qi Tongwei reacted instinctively, raising his hand to return the salute.

The same applies to degree.

A few seconds later, the three of them slowly lowered their arms.

In his previous life, Qi Tongwei had witnessed Zhao Ruilong's arrogance and his extravagance.

I've seen him run rampant in Handong, relying on the Zhao family's influence; I've seen him be shrewd, worldly-wise, and opportunistic.

I never expected to see Zhao Ruilong like this when I returned to Handong.

In this life, he is his comrade-in-arms.

This side of the story is truly a pleasant surprise.

do not judge a book by it's cover.

It was during this meeting that Qi Tongwei decided to give Zhao Ruilong some pointers.

If it can be saved, then let's try.

If not, good advice is useless to a damned ghost.

Without him.

Abandon past grievances.

The two of them carried guns together.

The three of them sat down one by one, drank tea, and chatted.

Grilled skewers, cold dishes, drinks, and beer were quickly placed on the table.

Zhao Ruilong slowly took off his military cap and carefully put away his medals.

Only after taking off their military uniforms did they begin to eat.

He only had one military medal in his entire life, and he was always afraid of getting water or oil on his food.

We've eaten almost all of it.

Zhao Ruilong took two photo albums out of his handbag.

Qi Tongwei and Cheng Du each had a copy.

"I had someone photograph and develop it; the original wasn't well preserved. When I was discharged from the army, I submitted a report and brought it back to Handong."

Each of you should have one, as a keepsake.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Ruilong." Qi Tongwei flipped through the photo album.

It's a pleasant surprise, not a shock.

A collection of precious photographs.

The distant past of the northern frontier.

Many of the photos are missing from Qi Tongwei's collection, or he couldn't find them after moving multiple times.

I didn't expect Zhao Ruilong to have such a complete set.

They really put their heart into it.

Qi Tongwei originally wanted to say a few words of praise to Zhao Ruilong.

However, I'm worried that if I praise Zhao Ruilong, he'll become arrogant.

So, I'll just keep quiet.

The images above show young, rugged faces with dark, yellowish skin.

There's my youthful, spirited self, and my former comrades-in-arms.

As I flipped through the photos, I finally settled on a group photo.

One after another, young faces forever frozen in time come into view.

Several comrades-in-arms sacrificed their lives.

They either sacrificed their lives in flood relief efforts or acted bravely in the face of danger.

Qi Tongwei's eyelids drooped slightly, and a layer of moisture rose in his eyes.

Cheng Du turned his head to look at Zhao Ruilong, gave him a thumbs up, and said, "Ruilong, you have really impressed me."

I always thought you were just a good-for-nothing playboy.

Zhao Ruilong twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled faintly, "I used to be the Crown Prince of Handong, but now I'm just a legitimate businessman. I'm doing business that's as legitimate as it gets."

Whether others believe it or not, Zhao Ruilong himself certainly doesn't believe it.

The three of them ate kebabs while chatting about their time in northern Xinjiang.

Desert and Gobi.

Sandstorms raged.

Picking cotton under the scorching sun caused blisters to form on my fingertips.

Sun-drying raisins.

I learned to make naan in the mess hall, enduring the smoke and fumes until my face was covered in soot.

But back then, those people were pure of heart, without any scheming or self-interest.

Memories are all beautiful.

In a daze, it felt as if I had returned to the military camp in the Gobi Desert, back to my passionate youth.

Qi Tongwei's self-control is far beyond that of ordinary people.

I felt that was enough, and I wanted to have a few words with Zhao Ruilong alone.

"Chengdu, tell Chang Chenghu to make sure he stands firm at his post until the very end. The matter at Dafeng Factory is about to be settled, and he won't have to go to the demolition team anymore soon."

"Okay, Tongwei, the shop's busy today too, I'll go help my cousin with some work. Actually, he didn't want to go to the demolition team anymore, not even as the team leader. You guys chat, if you need anything, just give me a call and I'll bring it up." Cheng Du saw through it all, Qi Tongwei had something to say to Zhao Ruilong privately.

Cheng Du got up and gently closed the door to the private room.

Only Qi Tongwei and Zhao Ruilong remained in the private room.

Qi Tongwei tapped his fingers lightly on the table, looked directly at Zhao Ruilong, and got straight to the point.

"Ruilong, how's business going these days?"

Zhao Ruilong toyed with his wine glass. "It's alright, not bad."

Seven simple words, perfunctory yet truthful.

Qi Tongwei cut to the chase: "How many shares do you hold in Shanshui Group?"

When asked about serious matters, Zhao Ruilong became more relaxed, saying, "Initially, I took 50% and Du Bozhong took 50%."

Due to cash flow issues, I sold off a portion of the shares, and now I have 30% remaining.

The major shareholder is now Du Bozhong, that old fox is very shrewd.

He never uses the title of legal representative; Li Shiya is the legal representative and chairman of the Shanshui Group.

Qi Tongwei nodded and took out a cigarette.

Du Bozhong's methods are those of a seasoned veteran.

"Ruilong, Shanshui Group, who's in charge now, you or Du Bozhong?"

Zhao Ruilong gave a wry smile: "Du Bozhong has the final say."

This industry is under too much scrutiny right now; the higher-ups are cracking down hard.

The number of customers at high-end clubs has plummeted, and business is getting worse every day.

Old Du owns more shares than I do, and he makes all the major decisions for the group now.

Qi Tongwei remained expressionless and continued to press, "Within the Shanshui Group, who are your people? The reliable, absolutely dependable type."

This question hits the nail on the head.

Zhao Ruilong did not hide anything and answered truthfully.

"Zhang Tianfeng used to follow me; he was loyal and reliable."

Lately, he's been getting too close to Du Bozhong, and his mind is wandering. I think Zhang Tianfeng has become Du Bozhong's dog.

The only person I have is the CFO, Liu Qingzhu; he has complete control over the accounts.

Qi Tongwei nodded silently, mentally clarifying the entire personnel and organizational structure.

If Liu Qingzhu is reliable, then pigs can fly.

This indirectly reflects that Zhao Ruilong has been sidelined within the Shanshui Group.