Chapter 414 - 264: Let’s Go, Come Live a Rich Life with Me

Chapter 414: Chapter 264: Let’s Go, Come Live a Rich Life with Me

’But at the same time, that didn’t seem like Lin Chu at all. His attitude was one of utter fearlessness, as if everything was under his control—the sense that he could handle the fallout from anything.’

Lin Chu: "This isn’t called retiring from the game, it’s called knowing your limits. What the fuck makes you think I have the skills to helm a corporate group? I’m only fucking twenty-four! Besides, I’m not interested in the day-to-day operations. The branch companies are all outsourced! I only look at results, at profits. Understand?"

Liu Junfeng: "...I get it. Shit, how could a poor guy like me understand the minds of multi-billionaires like you? To put it bluntly, you can afford to make mistakes, so you’re not afraid to, right?"

"If you’re so poor, then just focus on your job. Or hey, you could be the CEO."

A smile crept onto Lin Chu’s lips.

Liu Junfeng: "I can’t fucking do it either! I don’t have the skills for that! All right, all right, I give up. I’ll just tell them that all four are VPs. I’ll sort out their duties and responsibilities and bring it to you for your signature later."

Since Lin Chu had put it that way, there was nothing more for him to say.

’So be it, then.’

Ending the chat, Liu Junfeng lit a cigarette and couldn’t help but shake his head with a small smile.

The tides of thought on the internet seemed to shift every decade.

From "You lose if you take things seriously," to "I’m not serious for the sake of winning or losing, I’m just serious," and now it seemed like everyone was going back to not taking things seriously—to "lying flat" and "letting it rot."

There was no correct answer.

And yet, they were all correct answers.

...

After a full night’s sleep, Lin Chu spent the next day wandering on the beach and around the city before getting back in his car and heading to the next destination.

He didn’t actually have a specific destination in mind. He would just go wherever the road took him. All that mattered was being on the move.

He drove onto the highway.

Lin Chu reviewed last night’s livestream in his mind.

’It was great for his reputation.’

’Even though it created new entanglements, it didn’t matter.’

’I should have more faith in people.’

’After all, who’s really a fool?’

’It’s just that this method of meeting up in person involves too many people. It’s impossible to screen for the exact kind of person I’m looking for.’

’And what kind of person am I looking for?’

’Naturally... interesting people, people on my wavelength, and good-looking people.’

’I need to iterate on this, optimize the process.’

However, after mulling it over for a while, Lin Chu was struck by the realization that there was no particularly good solution.

It was just like that famous quote from the advertising industry: half of all advertising spend is wasted, you just don’t know which half. But if you don’t spend the full amount, the other half won’t have any effect either.

Who you meet, the friendships you form, the love you find—it all seems to be dealt by fate, predestined.

’Even... being born is like that.’

’It’s all so damn metaphysical.’

’Just keep moving forward!’

’Ever westward!’

...

The air itself seemed to mark a clear geographical boundary.

After he passed through a long tunnel, the once-humid air quietly grew dry and cool. The sunlight, however, became even more intense, as if he had entered a whole new world.

The change invigorated Lin Chu.

He sped onward.

Around five in the afternoon, his map showed that the next city was still three hundred kilometers away—at least another five hours of driving.

’Maybe I should stop for the night in a town, or even a village.’

He pulled over to the side of the road. Lin Chu got out to take a leak, have a smoke, and stretch his legs.

"Coming for drinks tonight?"

The message was from Linlin, sent a few hours earlier.

Her social media feed had the typical style of a nightclub promoter: photos of beautiful women, private rooms, bottles of alcohol, and captions like, "Who’s drinking tonight?"

For a moment, Lin Chu even had the fleeting impulse to try and ’save a girl from the streets.’

Ever since starting this trip, many of the value systems and standards he’d built for himself were starting to deconstruct.

According to his old habits, he would have blocked her instantly, just like he did with that promoter from Sky City—Fan Wanjun, he thought her name was.

But now...

"How much do you make in a month?"

Lin Chu typed back casually.

Linlin: "? Why are you asking that? I don’t lend money, and I don’t have any. In fact, I’ve got two kids at home with mouths to feed."

Lin Chu: ...

He couldn’t help but laugh.

He paused, then typed another message: "What’s your education level?"

Linlin: "? Dude, what are you getting at? Are you coming for drinks or not? I have a high school education. I dropped out in my junior year."

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Lin Chu thought for a moment. "I think you’re pretty sharp. Let’s play a game, or you could call it a bet. If you can pass the exams to get an associate’s degree and then a bachelor’s, I’ll give you some money. Two hundred thousand for the associate’s, and two million for the bachelor’s. This offer stands indefinitely. You get the degree, you get the cash."

Linlin: "? Holy shit! Are you serious?"

Lin Chu: "If I’m lying, I’m a dog. You can put me on blast all over the internet."

Several long minutes passed before Linlin replied: "Heh, forget it. So you rich guys have moved on from playing with women to playing with people’s lives, is that it? I don’t know how to do anything. Where would I even go to study? And what happens if I pass? College grads don’t make what I make now. I’d be better off just finding a few more clients. If I go off to fucking study, who’s gonna support me? What’s the goddamn point!"

Lin Chu stared at her reply, silent for a moment.

"School might not help you make money, but it’ll help you be a mother. The clothes you took off can always be put back on. Time is like cleavage—if you squeeze, you’ll always find some."

"My offer is on the table. Whether you take it is up to you."

"I’m not trying to mess with you. We just happened to meet. Last night, you took a drink for me, so today, I’m giving you an opportunity."

"If you don’t want it, we can just delete each other."

After sending the messages, Lin Chu paid her no more mind. He got back in his car, shaking his head with a small smile.

’It was just a casual gesture.’

’No need to force it.’

He started driving again.

Up ahead, a village by the side of the highway looked quite lively; it was a country market day.

The rustic atmosphere appealed to Lin Chu. He parked his car at the entrance to the village and got out to wander around.

He bought a watermelon and walked through the bustling market, holding it in one arm and munching on a slice.

A series of crisp, loud yelps suddenly caught his attention.

It was a litter of puppies.

Their yelps were full of life, their little voices surprisingly loud.

If he wasn’t mistaken, these were Tang Hounds. Also known as Chinese Hunting Dogs or local village dogs, they weren’t exactly rare but had only become popular in recent years. They were a living heritage, a breed carefully selected and passed down by the ancestors.

They were actually quite hard to find in many places. In Guangdong Province, for instance, you rarely saw dog markets like this.

’Of course, it’s not like I’ve ever gone looking for one,’ he thought.

But now, stumbling upon them in the middle of his journey, Lin Chu felt a stir of interest.

’Should I buy one?’

A smile touched his lips. There was nothing to hesitate about.

’Buy it!’

A few minutes later.

Lin Chu paid five thousand yuan and left the stall, holding a recently weaned male Five-Red Dog.

He had a feeling the price was a little steep, but he couldn’t understand a word of the local man’s dialect and couldn’t be bothered to haggle.

A few thousand yuan was nothing to him.

Besides, if it hadn’t been so expensive, it probably would’ve been sold long ago. He wouldn’t have even gotten the chance.

The puppy was red all over, clever, and lively. It was even adorably feisty. Back in the litter, it had been the alpha, beating its brothers and sisters until they yelped while it reigned supreme.

But upon closer inspection, its eyes were rather cute—as clear and transparent as a baby’s.

The moment he picked it up, it instantly became docile. It didn’t make a fuss at all, just settled down quietly and even nuzzled its head into his chest, showing a surprising amount of perceptiveness.

Lin Chu didn’t know anything about conformation or breed standards; he just went by feel and thought the pup looked hardy.

This type of dog was easy to raise anyway, low-maintenance.

He gleefully snapped a photo.

And posted it to his feed.

"Welcoming a new member to the family. Named him Lin Ergou... Come on, you’re with me now. Time to live a life of luxury. I’ll even let you fly on my private jet."

Holding the puppy, a wide smile spread across Lin Chu’s face.

The name was just too ridiculous.

He posted it, and the comments quickly started rolling in.

Lu Ming: "Bro, where’d you go! Take me with you!"

Wang Zhefei: "Holy shit! Talk about winning the dog lottery!"

Zhou Luan: "What the hell kind of name is Ergou? Do you even know how to name things? Does that make you Lin Dagou (Big Dog)? (dog emoji)"

Chen Yuanxing: "A Five-Red Dog, nice. That’s a lucky dog. Brings prosperity to the home and fortune to its owner."

Yang Cheng: "Haha, good dog."

Dad: "Ergou my ass! Change its name right now! Call it Fugui. Bring it back to guard the ancestral hall. Five-Red Dogs are the best for guarding ancestral halls! They bring good fortune!"

...

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