Mo Zishi said he would introduce a girlfriend to me, and he believed I would definitely fall for her. To me, this was simply unbelievable. He then asked me, “Where are you now?”
I answered truthfully, “I’m on my way to Shanghai.”
“That’s great… See, isn’t this fate? Today I just mentioned this to the girl, and this evening you show up by yourself, just like a scripted scenario. I’m sure this will work out!… But you don’t need to thank me, it’s my responsibility!”
His words left me puzzled, and after a while I asked, “Dr. Mo, are you really a neurologist?”
“Of course!”
“I strongly suggest that while you treat others’ brains, you should also pay attention to your own brain health. I’ve heard that certain brain diseases have a latent period, and once they erupt, there’s no cure!”
Mo Zishi was momentarily stunned, then realized what I meant and angrily replied, “You really don’t understand American humor! There’s a communication barrier between us! You’re just too harsh!”
“You don’t really understand the sentiments of the Chinese people either… ‘Love, once begun, runs deep.’ Do you even understand the meaning behind these words?”
“You still believe in sayings from feudal society? How outdated! Open your eyes and look around—how many people break up and divorce every day in a city like Shanghai? If you’re so stubborn, people will consider you a monster!”
“I wouldn’t be ashamed to be a monster for love… Dr. Mo, the signal on the train is pretty bad. I won’t say much more. If you’d give me the opportunity to treat you to dinner, I’d be very sincere about inviting you. Thank you for helping both Mi Cai and me so much!” I said and hung up the phone, shaking my head and smiling slightly at the passing scenery outside the window… This Mo Zishi was quite interesting. Although he meant to do something bad, he did it in a humorous way! Who knows why he was so concerned about me.
…
It was already spring. At six o’clock, the sky over Shanghai still held a gently glowing sunset. People were still rushing after work—hurrying to prepare dinner, hurrying to relieve the fatigue of the day. The entire city was swallowed by busyness. Looking around, it was truly difficult to find a place for the soul to rest here. The omnipresent pressure seemed to be the innate temperament of this international metropolis, making the serene sunset look oddly out of place!
I thought again about how so many partings had started at the airport of this city… Suddenly, I found myself disliking this place a little.
I bought a bouquet of flowers, preparing to give them to Jian Wei. Just after finishing payment and waiting for the change, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. Instinctively, I turned around. To my surprise, it was Mo Zishi. He smiled at me and said, “Luckily there wasn’t much traffic, or else I wouldn’t have made it here in time to pick you up!”
I looked at him in astonishment, momentarily at a loss for words. I felt this person always acted without leaving room for others, but I could do nothing about it. After all, I had personally witnessed how hard he worked in helping with Jian Wei. Sometimes, he even did tasks that should have been handled by nurses. I couldn’t possibly fall out with him over such a small matter, even though I felt a little annoyed.
Looking at the flowers in my hand, he smiled and said, “Zhaoyang, I always thought you were a man who could figure things out. Sure enough, you’ve even prepared flowers. The girl I’m introducing to you will definitely be very happy when she sees how sincere you are!”
I remained silent for a while before replying, “These are for Jian Wei.”
But he ignored me and directly said, “My car is parked across at the parking lot. Let’s go now. I’ve made a reservation with the girl at seven. If traffic gets bad, we might be late!”
Finally, I got angry and sternly asked, “What exactly is this all about?”
He remained calm and smiled, “This is something where you need to show your grace. At least I’ve managed to get the girl to come out. Whether it works out or not, you still need to go, maintain your gentlemanly manner, and pay the bill… Didn’t you say you wanted to treat me to dinner before? Consider this dinner settled.”
I really didn’t want to argue with him, nor did I want to be endlessly annoyed by him. So I simply agreed to his request to attend the meeting. I really wanted to see what kind of fairy he was introducing to me, who dares to make me feel “heartthrob” again!
…
Before nightfall, Mo Zishi drove me toward the Western restaurant he had previously booked. During the ride, besides asking him about Jian Wei’s physical condition over the past few days, I didn’t say much else. I just looked out the window at the skyscrapers and overpasses, but in the next second, I had already forgotten their appearance. I really couldn’t immerse myself deeply into this city that I didn’t particularly like.
We arrived at the restaurant within the agreed time. Before getting out of the car, Mo Zishi reminded me again to bring the bouquet originally meant for Jian Wei. However, I absolutely refused to cooperate with his one-sidedly imposed idea of chivalry. I simply opened the car door and walked into the restaurant in the most straightforward manner.
This was a very upscale Western restaurant. Even the waiters were authentic Europeans and Americans. The soothing Western classical music, paired with a minimalist yet not careless interior design, gave the entire restaurant a very refined atmosphere. This was indeed a place favored by the upper class. As I walked in, I had already seen countless luxury items placed beside women. Therefore, I truly had no doubt that the woman Mo Zishi was introducing to me was not lacking in material terms. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to go on a date at such an obviously high-end restaurant.
Mo Zishi finally caught up with my pace. He looked toward a seat near the window, and I followed his gaze. Sure enough, I saw a young woman. Perhaps because Mi Cai’s image lingered in my mind, I was unwilling to describe this woman’s appearance, even though she looked elegant and had unforgettable fair skin…
Mo Zishi nodded in greeting toward the woman first. When we approached, she politely stood up from her seat, waiting for Mo Zishi to introduce us. Mo Zishi first said to me, “Zhaoyang, this is Miss Qi Zhihui. We met when I was studying in the United States. After returning home, she has been working in financial institutions. She’s one of the most typical golden-collar workers in Shanghai.”
I politely said, “Pleased to meet you.” Then Mo Zishi turned to Qi Zhihui and said, “This is Mr. Zhaoyang. He currently runs two companies and is preparing to launch a mobile game company. I’ve heard that it has already secured financing. His companies are worth hundreds of millions. So he’s definitely a standout among our generation of 80s-born!”
I wasn’t surprised that Mo Zishi had exaggerated so much. He was just trying to use the loneliness and solitude I felt after Mi Cai left to push me to find a new love, so that Mi Cai could stay in the United States without any worries, following Yan Zhuomei’s arrangements… I was indeed lonely and indeed alone. Visible temptations were also difficult to resist. But in the end, he underestimated me. I had already made waiting for Mi Cai the most important belief in my life. Even if this belief seemed so outdated and foolish in the eyes of those who didn’t understand.
The three of us sat down. Mo Zishi and I sat on one side, while Qi Zhihui sat alone on the other. Mo Zishi called over a waiter and began ordering food. I absentmindedly looked out the window at the shrunken little world and took a sip of the free tea. At that moment, my mind was not on this arranged blind date. I was still troubled by the funding gap in the advertising company. Even though I had transferred the business of “The Artistic Path” in Yangzhou, there was still a debt of at least 15 million that I couldn’t repay. This would be my biggest crisis in the future. I believed that as long as this debt remained unpaid, the advertising company would continue to face troubles. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before I received a court summons, facing lawsuits caused by these debts.
The ordered dishes were gradually delivered to us, and dinner officially began. At this point, Mo Zishi started busily playing matchmaker between Qi Zhihui and me. He said, “You two are both my friends, and I think you’re really well-suited for each other. That’s why I arranged this introduction today. If you two have plans for further development, I’ll really feel like I’ve done something meaningful! After all, you’ve both reached the age where men should marry and women should settle down.”
Qi Zhihui looked at me, then smiled… seemingly waiting for me to speak first. But this calmness was enough to prove that she was a woman with many emotional experiences. At this stage, she could treat relationships with detachment.
I politely responded to Qi Zhihui with a smile, then turned to Mo Zishi and said, “Zishi, can you answer a few questions for me in front of Miss Qi?”
“Uh… sure, no problem.”
“You must ensure that you answer each of my questions honestly, otherwise it will be hard for us to continue talking.”
Mo Zishi feared that I might leave in anger due to dissatisfaction with his arrangement, so he quickly replied, “Of course, I’ll answer honestly!”
I asked him seriously, “Do I currently have a girlfriend?”
Mo Zishi was first taken aback, then replied, “Well… yes, technically you do, but…”
I interrupted him and asked again, “Next question: Has my girlfriend clearly stated that she wants to end our relationship?”
“Well… well, she doesn’t really need to state it clearly. Everyone knows she went to the U.S. and might stay there for three to five years. Besides, you and your girlfriend aren’t in your early twenties anymore. You don’t have much time left to waste. People should focus on the present…”
This time, Mo Zishi was interrupted by Qi Zhihui. She said angrily, “Mo Zishi, is this how you treat your friends? You said you were introducing me to a boyfriend, but actually you’re trying to make me a mistress who breaks up someone else’s relationship. What kind of bad intentions do you have?… We can’t be friends anymore. Drop dead!”
Qi Zhihui grew increasingly furious, stood up, grabbed her handbag, hit Mo Zishi with it, and then stormed off. Mo Zishi, no longer concerned about the blind date, hurried after her to explain. I shook my head and smiled slightly, feeling relieved that this farce had ended. Then I moved his untouched steak onto my plate to ensure I could have a full dinner tonight and muster the energy to face tomorrow’s challenges.
…
The next day, I got up early and went to the advertising company to arrange work for the relevant personnel. I sent the remaining planners on business trips to Beijing and Shenzhen, giving them the opportunity to interact with planning companies that serve the gaming industry. My purpose was to help them adapt to the transition of planning projects in advance. Moreover, I didn’t want the debt issues in the company to affect their moods. I decided to bear this matter alone and recall them only after it was resolved, so they could face the upcoming work with a peaceful mind. At this point, only I and the financial director remained in the company.
Today, several suppliers and previous advertising business partners came to collect the overdue payments. Their attitude was quite intense, and in their excitement, they even smashed some of the company’s equipment. However, I still tried to understand them. Some of them indeed faced operational difficulties or even the risk of bankruptcy because our payments were not settled. In today’s world, nobody finds doing business easy. I could only continuously soothe their emotions and promise to pay 30% of their outstanding debts within three days to help them address their urgent needs. This money came from the transfer of the Yangzhou branch of “The Artistic Path.” However, this practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul was ultimately not a sustainable solution… I felt deeply troubled by this!
At noon, while having a quick lunch with the financial director in the office, I suddenly received an unfamiliar phone call. After answering, I asked, “Hello, good day. May I ask who is this?”
“It’s Sun Youmin from the Sunshine Branch of Bank of Communications.”
“Hello, hello, President Sun!” I said repeatedly, feeling very surprised in my heart. Why was he calling me? Yesterday, I had indeed gone to the bank to discuss applying for a business loan with him, but he had rejected it.
“Are you free this afternoon?… There’s something I’d like to discuss with you in person.”
“Of course I’m free… Uh, should I come directly to the bank to see you?”
He hesitated slightly before replying, “You don’t need to come to the bank. We’ll meet at Pin Ya Teahouse at 2 PM.”
I agreed, but my heart was even more puzzled. I originally thought he was calling me because there had been a breakthrough regarding the business loan. But now he had arranged to meet me at Pin Ya Teahouse. What kind of matter needed to be discussed away from the bank? And what kind of variables might this entail?…
…
At 2 PM in the afternoon, I arrived at Pin Ya Teahouse as agreed. In a private room on the second floor, I met President Sun, who had previously been quite dismissive of me. His briefcase was prominently placed on the table, clearly indicating that he hadn’t come to meet me for casual socializing.
After greeting him, I sat down opposite him. He wasted no time on small talk and directly said to me, “President Zhao, we haven’t worked together before, but I’m here today to genuinely bring you some good news.”
I remained calm and asked, “May I ask what good news is it?”
“A friend of mine has privately given me 15 million yuan and asked me to pass this money on to you. Later, you can provide me with your personal account or company account, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”
I looked at him in surprise, simultaneously pondering in my mind who could possibly be offering me such a massive sum of 15 million yuan in aid in this manner. If this was a pie falling from the sky, it was simply too big!
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