Chapter 448 - 277: You’ve Got Too Much Time on Your Hands

Chapter 448: Chapter 277: You’ve Got Too Much Time on Your Hands

He hadn’t expected Lin Chu to be on such good terms with them already.

Though, it was to be expected. After all, the social circles in Peng City weren’t that large.

Still, it gave him a sense of vibrant growth.

The future, after all, belongs to the young.

Or to be more precise, it belonged to the group of young people right in front of him, and others like them.

As for his own family... ’Xiaoluan... *sigh*. She’s not really cut out for this sort of thing. It’s best if she just lives a peaceful and quiet life. It’s pretty much impossible for her to make any real career breakthroughs.’

"Uncle Zhou, hello! Where’s Xiaoluan? You didn’t bring her with you?"

You Shaoqiang greeted Zhou Ming with a smile.

They knew each other, though not very well.

"She’s here. She’s over there watching the tournament, keeping an eye on her favorite celebrity."

Zhou Ming replied casually. He wouldn’t dare underestimate these young people, so he responded cheerfully and with great warmth.

Just then, Lin Chu saw Jackie Chan walking toward them.

Jackie Chan had been on stage during the ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier, representing the celebrity guests who wielded the scissors.

With a smile, Lin Chu walked over to him, and they shared a hug like old friends.

Jackie Chan was all smiles.

The last incident in Xiangjiang had ended unpleasantly, and he still felt he owed Lin Chu an apology. He had come to genuinely respect the young man.

Today, he hadn’t just come alone; he had brought several old friends with him and was busy making introductions.

They were all elderly men, or at least middle-aged, and Lin Chu greeted them all with a radiant smile.

Zhou Ming, You Shaoqiang, and the other young elites watched this scene, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Ha, President Lin truly has friends everywhere. Everything he touches turns to gold."

You Shaoqiang said with a laugh.

The others chuckled softly.

Not far away, Wang Zhefei, who had come to attend the ceremony, stared wide-eyed at the scene, a strange feeling suddenly welling up inside him.

’Damn, he’s really something else!’

’It’s only been a few months, hasn’t it?’

’Fame, reputation, and connections are all things you have to build up bit by bit.’

’Although it’s mainly about status and power, you still have to manage it all. That’s essential.’

’To be fair, a golf club really does have a natural advantage in that regard.’

’But even so, Wang Zhefei couldn’t help but wonder if Lin Chu had been possessed by another soul.’

’It was just too terrifying.’

’What a ridiculously epic life...’

"Brother Peng, what has he been up to lately?"

Wang Zhefei asked the nearby Zhang Peng, his voice a mixture of curiosity, shock, and bewilderment.

Zhang Peng just smiled. "You should ask him yourself. It’s a company secret, so it’s not my place to say. I invited you to join, but you refused."

Wang Zhefei: ...

...

It wasn’t until almost noon that Lin Chu finally managed to extricate himself from the endless social obligations.

To be honest, it was exhausting.

’At these kinds of social events, you naturally have to wear a mask. Plus, I was the host, so I had to make sure every little detail was taken care of.’

’It was so draining.’

’I haven’t reached the point where I can just ignore everyone and do whatever I please.’

’And even if I did have that kind of power and status, I probably still couldn’t act that way.’

’These are the invisible chains that come with status and fame.’

’It even got to the point where...’

’Even if I went out drinking with my buddies now—to a bar, a Business KTV, or a barbecue—the atmosphere probably wouldn’t be as fun as it used to be.’

’Have I changed?’

’I have.’

’I’m richer.’

’They’ve changed too.’

’Maybe our personalities haven’t changed, our friendship hasn’t changed, the foundation of it all is the same, but the level of politeness between us has definitely shifted, subtly.’

’But I don’t really like that feeling of being treated with so much deference. It’s much more comfortable when we can just be ourselves, without any restraints.’

’I wish to buy osmanthus wine and sail with friends, but it’s never like the journeys of our youth.’

After the luncheon at the golf club’s restaurant, Lin Chu left.

’Everyone and everything was already arranged in perfect order. I was basically just a mascot; there was no real point in me staying.’

’Besides, I really, truly don’t like such a bustling environment.’

’Socializing and making friends for the sake of profit, connections, or even just to spend money... it all seems so boring now.’

’Unless the person I’m with is interesting enough.’

’But, obviously, at an event like this, everyone is pretty dull. They’re all just playing their assigned roles.’

’Jackie Chan is playing the celebrity.’

’Zhou Ming is playing the former boss, the friend, the entrepreneur.’

’The officials are playing the officials.’

’The beauties are playing the arm candy.’

’So, of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the best is to retreat.’

Lin Chu drove, with Gu Jiayan in the passenger seat.

She could faintly sense that Lin Chu’s spirits were low, but she didn’t know why.

’Shouldn’t this be a happy occasion?’

"Is something on your mind?"

she asked in a soft voice.

"Hm? Not at all. Say, how about I buy you a house? I’ll be traveling again soon, so you can take your time decorating it. The New Year is almost here, you could bring your family over."

Lin Chu casually changed the subject.

Gu Jiayan: ...

After a moment of silence, she said, "I don’t have any family anymore. My mother passed away. I’m... all on my own. I sold our house back home two years ago to pay for her medical treatments."

"Oh, but that’s not entirely true. There are plenty of kids at the orphanage, and they all call me Mom now."

Her expression was wistful for a moment, but then she broke into a bright smile as she spoke.

Lin Chu took a deep breath. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he reached over and gently squeezed hers.

"The orphanage in Zeng City... I’ll urge them to speed things up. It should be completed around the middle of next year."

"I’m looking for inner peace. Happiness is secondary; peace is the main goal."

"I went back home for a visit, but my dad wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace. He kept nagging me to get married and have kids. It was so chaotic, I couldn’t relax."

"My friends... one by one, they’re either obsessed with their careers or just spend all their time drinking and chasing women. It’s draining, and frankly, quite boring."

"Love... and where’s the peace in that?"

"Right now, I find my peace in nature. It’s calm, whether I’m stargazing at night, watching the sunrise in the morning, or hiking in the mountains, camping, and playing with my dog."

Lin Chu spoke in a placid tone, lighting a cigarette and exhaling a long plume of smoke.

He was, in a way, baring his soul.

’In the past, he definitely wouldn’t have said any of this to anyone.’

Gu Jiayan: ...

Her first thought was a simple evaluation—’You’re just bored!’

’If you paid even the slightest bit of attention to company affairs, you wouldn’t be this idle.’

’But then again, the whole point of running a company is to make money. Does he even need to make more money?’

"You really are a breath of fresh air."

"In *Das Kapital*, it talks about the alienation of man by capital, which manifests in many ways. The boss becomes a slave to capital, toiling away for the sole purpose of accumulating more wealth. The employees are also slaves to capital, working themselves to the bone just to survive."

"You seem to have avoided that alienation, huh... But it puts you at odds with mainstream society, and even with the mainstream values you were taught growing up."

Gu Jiayan analyzed, a slight smile on her face. It seemed Lin Chu had really done a lot of thinking during his trip.

She didn’t envy his state of mind, but she understood it completely and even admired it.

"Come on, let’s go to the airport."

Lin Chu glanced at her and said with a smile.

Gu Jiayan was slightly surprised. "Leaving right now? You’re not even staying an extra day? Aren’t you going to meet the two new company executives? They’re here today, even though it’s a holiday."

This "irresponsible" attitude toward his business still took her by surprise.

"They can come find me later. It’s just the cost of a few plane tickets."

"Let’s get going. Winter’s too cold, even in Peng City. I’m going to find somewhere to hibernate."

"Damn, Gulfstream Company is so damn slow. My private jet still isn’t ready!"

Lin Chu said with a dismissive wave and a smile.

Gu Jiayan pouted as she looked at him, a feeling of silent, fond indulgence welling up inside her.

A man who was a mix of incredible real-world success and an almost boyish petulance was truly intoxicating. It made her want to cherish him.

As her thoughts drifted along these lines, Gu Jiayan’s face flushed slightly.

"I... You... don’t you want to rest for a little while this afternoon? We could... get a room by the hour near the airport, okay?"

Lin Chu: ?

He turned to look at her in utter disbelief. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

This...

’For her to take the initiative...’

’This was truly a first.’

...

...