Chapter 628 - 361: The Way of Advance and Retreat

Chapter 628: Chapter 361: The Way of Advance and Retreat

This way of knowing when to advance and when to retreat clearly revealed Lin Chu’s style and thought process.

And compared to his wild abandon in the car earlier, his recent caution and conservatism further highlighted the young man’s discipline.

"Pay him no mind."

"For the upcoming coordination, you need to cooperate with Mr. Ye and make meticulous preparations. Mr. Ye will be fully in charge of all negotiations and meetings."

Liszt didn’t comment on the matter, nonchalantly changing the subject.

Jin Bingzou smiled and nodded, his gaze shifting to the local, Mr. Ye. He had already greeted him and understood clearly that this man was the key figure for this trip.

All sorts of relationships would require his mediation and coordination.

...

「At Pei Jin’s house.」

It was a small villa not far from the factory, in an area where the city faded into the countryside.

When Lin Chu walked in, the aroma of congee was already wafting through the air, and all kinds of ingredients were prepped and ready.

Another man sat by a charcoal fire, grilling oysters and meat skewers.

The moment he stepped inside, a rich, smoky, and homey aroma hit him.

Having not seen him for a few months, Pei Jin’s complexion had improved a lot. He had even put on some weight and had a healthy, ruddy glow.

The man next to him was tall and burly with a square jaw and a stubbled chin, giving off a bit of an artistic vibe.

Lin Chu took a second look and recognized him.

Li Dong. He was a famous figure in the Island Lord circle and the admin of their chat group. They had chatted online before, but this was their first time meeting in person.

He and Pei Jin were obviously very close, old friends for many years.

Li Dong had been roaming all over the world, so it was a surprise for Lin Chu to run into him at Pei Jin’s house.

After a round of pleasantries, they all took their seats.

Pei Jin was also quite surprised by Lin Chu’s sudden visit.

Strictly speaking, he was now one of Lin Chu’s "cooperative shareholders," but if you looked at the details, the reality was far from that.

The Xiangyun Sha Factory was merely a supplier to LC Retail. Above LC Retail was the headquarters, and now there were all sorts of overseas ventures too.

The business was getting bigger and bigger. He had just been lucky to know Lin Chu early on; otherwise, they would no longer be in the same league.

Besides, they had barely been in contact recently.

This was unavoidable.

’It’s only normal for a young man in a phase of rapid growth,’ Pei Jin thought. ’Once you reach the peak, the teammates who only walked with you for a bit at the base of the mountain don’t seem so important anymore.’

He had gone through that phase himself.

As for the current Lin Chu, he certainly looked the part of a tycoon, even traveling with two bodyguards.

"What have you been busy with lately?"

"I have to watch the news just to keep up with you these days. How was Dubai?"

Pei Jin asked with a casual smile as he added ingredients to the hot pot.

Li Dong opened a beer and offered Lin Chu a cigarette.

Lin Chu smiled and waved it away. "I quit. Quit smoking and drinking. I’m living a clean life now... Haven’t been too busy lately, just focusing on business and getting my health back in order."

"I was going a bit too hard before. Lots of smoking and drinking, and I wasn’t shying away from women, either. I guess you could say I’ve reformed and settled down."

Lin Chu spoke with a grin, not holding anything back.

The two men with him were both nearly a full zodiac cycle older than him and were worldly men with plenty of life experience. They had more than enough stories of their own and would surely understand this kind of change of heart.

"Congratulations, congratulations..."

"You know, it’s like this hot pot. The spicy broth is delicious, and the tomato broth is good too. But after a certain point, you just want the clear broth. The truest flavor of life is in its simple joys, after all."

Pei Jin offered with a casual, knowing smile.

’When a man suddenly changes like this, it’s usually for one of two reasons,’ Pei Jin mused.

’Either he’s reached a certain age, or he’s suffered a major blow—been knocked around by life—and lost most of his drive. He starts looking inward, cultivating his mind and body.’

’Or, he’s aiming for something much bigger. He cuts out all his bad habits and starts focusing all his energy on strengthening his body to achieve his life’s grand design.’

’Looking at Lin Chu’s current state, it’s probably not the first reason. Most likely, it’s the second.’

"Brother Li, how have you been? You were in Northern Europe before, right?"

Lin Chu turned to Li Dong, making small talk.

’This kind of meal is really comfortable,’ he thought.

’Lately, I’ve grown so tired of being ’respected.’ Everywhere I go, all I see are fake smiles. It’s exhausting and so disingenuous.’

’Rarity makes things precious, and an atmosphere like this is truly hard to come by.’

’It makes you wonder if there isn’t some psychological truth to those clichés, like the domineering CEO meeting a feisty girl and saying, ’Woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention.’’

Li Dong took a drag from his cigarette and said with an air of contentment, "I went to Antarctica, then to the Arctic, did a big loop, and now I’m back to settle down for a bit. Me? I just want to find a little courtyard house in the mountains by the water, raise some chickens, go fishing, eat some good food, have a few drinks... HAHA, I’m even planning to sell my island. The sea breeze is too strong, bad for my rheumatism."

Lin Chu couldn’t help but laugh.

This man was clearly the type who had achieved financial freedom. He probably had a nine-figure net worth, give or take, but his simple life was genuinely comfortable and free.

He’d also reached that age.

’I went through a phase like his, too, back when I was traveling,’ Lin Chu thought. ’But I was only in my twenties, so I hadn’t completely fallen into that mindset. I crawled back out, huffing and puffing, and started grinding for money again—striving, struggling.’

’Thinking about it, it’s kind of a pain in the ass.’

At that moment, Lin Chu even recalled a saying from a Buddhist scripture: ’To live in this world is like being in a thicket of thorns. If you do not move, you will not be harmed.’

’Isn’t all this damn trouble that followed simply because a desire arose in my heart?’

"Don’t talk about such a carefree life. I’m still in my prime, hungry and hustling. Tsk, Brother Li, you’re tempting me to abandon my path... Maybe I’ll consider it in another twenty years," Lin Chu teased with a smile.

’You choose your own path,’ he thought.

’Once you start climbing a mountain, there’s no other way to go but to the summit.’

’Whether it’s retreating or just stopping... neither is an option.’

’If I were to retreat or stop now, all sorts of endless trouble would truly come knocking on my door.’

’At that point, it would be the equivalent of crippling my own abilities.’

Li Dong asked, "So what’s the situation with your island now? I heard you hired some top-tier construction team and used high-grade cement, building it up like some kind of military fortress... Of course, HAHA, I’m just asking casually. If it involves any secrets, you don’t have to say anything. We wouldn’t dare to listen even if you did."

Although Daber Island was practically isolated from the rest of the world, the various construction teams that had been there left traces in the industry circle. This kind of thing couldn’t be hidden from others.

Of course, Lin Chu had no intention of hiding it.

"I have a security company, and that’s one of our training bases. It’s not a secret, nor is it a military base. It’s just a rather large-scale operation."

Strength displayed openly can also be a hidden card, serving as a deterrent to those with ulterior motives.

At least in the business world, very few people dared to mess with him now.

"Whoa, nice. When can I come check out the island? That’s the ultimate endgame for an island owner! I even took a special look at your island’s location. It could function as a port, and it’s not far from several major shipping lanes. If you really invested heavily, bought a few big ships, and added a helicopter, that would be a real thrill."

Li Dong seemed genuinely excited.

Lin Chu just nodded and smiled. "Sure, no problem. That’s the long-term development plan, but we’re still moving cautiously for now. I don’t want to be too high-profile and attract unwanted attention."

"Heh, what’s this about being high-profile? We’re not doing anything illegal, just business..."

Li Dong rambled on, drifting into various matters of state and military affairs. As someone from the Imperial Capital, he spoke about these topics with great familiarity, though the sources of his information were questionable. Lin Chu had no idea if any of it was true, so he just listened for the entertainment.

Amid the pleasant atmosphere, the image of that young man, Mr. Ye, surfaced in Lin Chu’s mind again, and a thoughtful look flickered in his eyes.

’Liszt must have his own operations in the country,’ he thought.

’Of course, he can’t possibly control everything.’

’But objectively speaking, the network of connections he’s cultivated in the country is likely stronger than my own.’

’And, to put it bluntly—as foreigners coming to invest, Liszt and Jin Bingzou actually have an advantage because of their status.’

This point made Lin Chu feel slightly uncomfortable.

But there was nothing to be done about it.

’As for me, I will absolutely not get involved in things I shouldn’t.’

’Understanding when to advance and when to retreat, even if it means giving up short-term gains, is what will allow me to navigate freely later on.’

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