2003: The Opening Sniper Against the Financial Tycoon

—【Internet cafe pro, no house, no car, carefree, worry about tomorrow's problems the day after...】

Qin Hanyang leaned back on the sofa, watching the live stream on the screen.

The content was about a content creator he followed whose daily life consisted of just lying around doing nothing.

Qin Hanyang was similar.

After years of hard work and entrepreneurship in a first-tier city, with over 600 yuan in savings, I seized the opportunity and returned to my hometown to open a media company providing local life services. My life is quite comfortable.

"Buzzing".

A message pops up at the top of the screen at this time.

"Isn't it good that you, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, are planning to invest in and support my sister's bar business? It's only 20 yuan, and it's sure to make money in the future. It will also be part of our marital assets... If you agree, I'll reduce the bride price a bit."

Qin Hanyang frowned as he finished reading, a hint of disgust in his eyes.

This is a blind date that his elders found for him two months ago.

We haven't even settled on the bride price, and now this woman who wants to open a bar has appeared. It's never going to end!

"Uh-huh."

Qin Hanyang gave a perfunctory reply and then tossed his phone aside.

The uploader in the video has finished cooking and is about to start his mukbang (eating broadcast), which is his favorite part to watch.

But seemingly aware of his deliberate avoidance, the phone kept ringing.

"Hey Qin, are you going to give it to me or not? My sister's still waiting for this money to cover it up!"

"Do I owe her?"

This aggressive attitude infuriated Qin Hanyang, who retorted sharply.

"Does that mean if your sister ever wants a man again, I'll have to step in and take her place?"

After hearing this, the person on the other end assumed it was just an angry outburst and continued, "Actually, it's not like I absolutely have to give you the money. All I want is for you to show your attitude... It seems that our wedding will have to be put on hold for now."

"Okay, that's settled then."

Qin Hanyang's tone was very calm.

But the other person immediately sensed his intention to run away and said urgently, "You... surnamed Qin, I have a secure job in the system, I've seen plenty of rich men, I don't even care about your little bit of money!"

"I'm sorry, I only started contacting you because I heard you were a kind and virtuous girl..."

"You're the one who's truly virtuous and dutiful!"

These two words seemed to be some kind of forbidden term, forcing the other person to suddenly raise their voice, "What right do you have to define me?"

"beep."

Qin Hanyang was too lazy to listen to her rambling, so he simply hung up the phone and then blocked and deleted her.

The world is quiet again.

"call......"

He let out a long sigh, his face filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

Lost in thought, Qin Hanyang was interrupted by a cheer.

—【Family members, it's here! It's here for life!】

The live broadcast on TV was still going on.

The disheveled content creator, holding a plate of glistening braised pork rice, smiled contentedly at the camera.

Seeing this, Qin Hanyang gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Although I am richer and more respectable than this "cash cow guy," it seems I can never be as carefree and at ease as him.

What is the meaning of life?

He has asked himself this question countless nights, but has yet to find an answer.

Then, driven by a sense of emptiness and melancholy, Qin Hanyang casually gifted the content creator on the screen 10 sports cars.

"I'm ordering you to go have a big seafood and barbecue buffet tomorrow."

"Thank you, Godfather! May you amass wealth in every direction, live forever, and even be resurrected after death!"

The old man on the wall bowed and said auspicious words, which made Qin Hanyang smile and feel much more relaxed.

It was at this moment.

At the same time, a female anchor named "Xiaoli" sent a message.

"Mr. Qin, would you like to come over for a drink?"

Next is an accompanying picture.

Above are several bottles of foreign liquor and snacks, as well as a long leg covered in fishnet stockings that takes up half the screen.

Oh shit.......

Green Tea's photography skills are truly exceptional; she even captured the roasted meat in the shot.

"walk slowly."

Hehe, I'll be waiting for you~

The lighthearted reply from the other end made Qin Hanyang smile again.

At least tonight he found fries with a dock.

With a roar, Qin Hanyang stepped on the gas and sped away.

While waiting for the red light at the last intersection, a dump truck suddenly drove towards us from the opposite direction.

A blinding light enveloped him, and before Qin Hanyang could react, he suddenly lost consciousness.

......

Qin Hanyang felt like he was being paralyzed by a ghost.

He was conscious, but he struggled several times and just couldn't wake up.

In a daze, Qin Hanyang heard a series of intermittent songs.

"Let us accompany each other in this mortal world, living freely and unrestrained..."

The song is a classic old song.

But they all had very plain, unpleasant voices.

With this assessment in mind, Qin Hanyang suddenly opened his eyes.

What comes into view is a large KTV room, with an overall gold color scheme and an outdated European retro style in its decor.

In the middle were three energetic young girls, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. They were dressed simply and had plain faces, and they were singing the song "When" that he couldn't help but complain about.

"So damn green... Who organized this party today? It's so dated!"

Qin Hanyang chuckled foolishly.

Where did this come from?

In a daze, he thought it was a special program arranged by one of his cronies.

"Awake? Keep drinking!"

Qin Hanyang turned around and saw that a crew-cut young man was sitting to his right, gesturing for him to quickly clink glasses and drink.

The boy's face seemed somewhat familiar, and Qin Hanyang asked in surprise and uncertainty:

"You are... Xie Feiji?"

"Hey, are you drunk or something?"

The boy named Xie Feiji shook his head, then patted Qin Hanyang on the shoulder and said in a comforting tone, "Forget it, I know you're in a bad mood. How about we go to an internet cafe and stay up all night? I'll cover the internet fee, and we'll have instant noodles and a sausage. Pretty generous, right...?"

Xie Feiji kept talking.

Qin Hanyang didn't hear anything; he just stared intently at the pale yellow crystal wall in front of him.

He suddenly realized that the reflection of himself inside was actually that of a naive young man!

"Holy crap!"

Qin Hanyang suddenly stood up and rushed into the bathroom amidst the surprised gazes of those around him.

"Clap clap clap!"

Looking in the mirror, Qin Hanyang couldn't help but slap himself a few times, and even buried his head under the faucet.

The burning pain and suffocating sensation told him that he was now in reality.

"They've really come back to life..."

Qin Hanyang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking of the blessing from the streamer earlier, and wondered if it was just a coincidence.

He then looked at himself in the mirror.

A T-shirt paired with rolled-up jeans and bangs that almost cover his eyes—he looks like he deserves a beating no matter how you look at it.

After calming down.

Qin Hanyang left the restroom and returned to his previous spot, trying to get information out of the boy: "Airplane, whose birthday is it today?"

Xie Feiji's real name is actually Xie Fei, and Feiji is his nickname. He was a little confused by Qin Hanyang's question and blurted out:

"Why celebrate a birthday? Isn't today just a small get-together after everyone finished filling out their college applications? The graduation party is in two days, and there are a bunch of graduation banquets coming up. Too bad... those have nothing to do with us."

"Have you finished filling out your college application...? What's today?"

June 30th.

"03?"

"What else?"

Faced with Qin Hanyang's persistent questioning, Xie Feiji couldn't help but retort, "Why are you asking so many pointless questions? Is it because the Ghost Festival is coming up soon and a ghost has possessed you?"

"Pretty much, even more sinister than being possessed by a ghost."

Qin Hanyang gave a casual reply, but was slowly processing the information in his mind.

Seeing him fall silent, Xie Feiji said, "Good brother, don't say anything more. I know about your family's situation these past two years. If you need more living expenses in the future, just let me know, and I'll give you half!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Hanyang looked up at him and had a general idea of ​​the date.

This is the last day to fill out college application forms.

Because the application process was paper-based at the time, he applied to only one vocational college despite having a score that was above the third-tier university cutoff.

The reason is that the tuition for a third-tier university is more than 10,000 yuan a year, which his family simply cannot afford!

Since they were going to attend a vocational college, they simply applied to the same school as Xie Feiji.

This is also why the latter is happy.

Qin Hanyang said, "Let's talk about living expenses later. I have to go back now."

Xie Feiji asked, "Are you still going to internet cafes all night? Aren't you going to stop playing 'Legend of Mir' anymore?"

Qin Hanyang shook his head, not wanting to stay any longer. He then stood up, said goodbye to his old classmates, and left.

After he left, several girls gathered around, and one of them asked curiously, "Xie Fei, why did Qin Hanyang leave so early? It's only eight o'clock."

"He's probably still not in a good mood, after all, he used to be at the second-tier university level."

Before Xie Fei could answer, the others began to analyze the situation.

"Indeed, but it's not necessary to pay high fees to study three books."

"But I feel that going to college is not as good as going to work in a factory."

"I've heard that junior colleges are particularly chaotic..."

"I've heard that some women even give birth in toilets..."

"By the way, there seem to be finger marks on Qin Hanyang's face. Could he have been self-harming in the bathroom?"

......