Chapter 228: Need A Ride?

“Are you all here?” Xie Wenyuan walked over with a wine glass at this moment, smiling as he asked, “Ms. Mi, do you know them as well?”

Mi Xiaolin managed a slight smile and replied, “We had a chance encounter during a visit to Nanjiang.”

Xie Wenyuan nodded thoughtfully and said, “I’ll chat with Chu Ge…”

It was a straightforward dismissal, but nothing could be discerned from Mi Xiaolin’s expression. She continued to smile, “Then I won’t disturb Mr. Xie’s conversation.”

After speaking, she left gracefully.

Xie Wenyuan watched her leave, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He muttered under his breath, “They want to participate in this project, and I didn’t agree. Don’t tell me they’re your friends?”

Chu Ge smiled and said, “No, they’re not. By the way, why didn’t Mr. Xie agree? Isn’t the project about gathering investments from various parties?”

“We do indeed want to invest, and we’re willing to share risks, but not all kinds of investments are suitable… We’re not desperate enough to take anything that comes our way.” Xie Wenyuan leisurely said, “Even when inviting celebrities, we consider their suitability. More so with collaborators.”

“So, what’s their image like?”

“Their venture capital firm has a radical style and broad scope, like starving wolves. Interestingly, the companies they invest in eventually become theirs…” Xie Wenyuan chuckled, “But that’s not the key point. The key is that we feel having foreign capital involved shouldn’t be too disruptive.”

Qiu Wuji curiously asked, “Didn’t Mr. Xie say we also have Japanese and Korean capital involved?”

“The nature of that is different. We’re a legitimate joint venture company, cross-ownership, transparent business dealings, and no interference with each other’s operations. But theirs…” Xie Wenyuan paused here and laughed, “It’s hard to say specifically, but their nature is quite chaotic. And due to risk management principles, they won’t cooperate easily.”

Chu Ge muttered, “Then why invite them to the wine party?”

Xie Wenyuan heard that and chuckled helplessly, “In the business world, things are never so black and white… We don’t need investment, but who knows if there might be other areas for cooperation? Just like in anime, we agreed to collaborate with your company’s anime station, yet we still invited friends from other stations to the event. Who knows, there might be avenues for further expansion.”

Chu Ge nodded in agreement. Many of these principles weren’t unfamiliar, but they felt a bit distant from his own world.

“I’m just a humble wordsmith…”

Xie Wenyuan chuckled and said, “So you two don’t always have to whisper to each other like a couple. For young people who truly aspire to progress, this networking cocktail party is about making connections. Let me introduce you… This is Director Chen. You should have a lot in common with these young folks…”

Director Chen shook hands encouragingly, “What you love is your life.”

Chu Ge restrained the greeting that had almost escaped his lips and put on a brilliant smile.

……

While Xie Wenyuan saw it as a networking event to help them move forward, for Chu Ge, it was a mentally and physically exhausting ordeal.

Even with his much-improved memory, by the end, he was still struggling with various cases of facial blindness. He couldn’t distinguish between this CEO and that manager anymore.

He smiled until his face almost froze, and by the end, he couldn’t come up with anything more imaginative than the usual “It’s a pleasure to meet you, thank you for your hospitality.”

His pockets were stuffed with business cards, yet he didn’t have any to give in return, making the situation rather awkward.

Fortunately, nobody really paid attention to him. He was just a small author who happened to catch Xie Wenyuan’s attention, and while the pleasantries were plenty, there wasn’t a single genuine connection. Whether or not he had a business card wasn’t all that important.

The one who truly thrived in this environment was Old Zhu. He was mingling with a healthy blush on his face, and who knew how many deals he was making.

In reality, these kinds of parties didn’t have many strict rules. If you wanted to leave early, no one would mind, and Xie Wenyuan didn’t care either. So, Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji enjoyed their fill of food and drinks and left after eating.

“This isn’t really my world.” Walking on the road with Qiu Wuji after leaving early, Chu Ge looked at the passing traffic and sighed, “It seems like I’ll never be able to enter the so-called ‘upper society’ in my lifetime.”

Qiu Wuji held his hand and smiled warmly. “Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely watching the southern hills. People’s aspiration for transcendence often arises from contrasting environments. That’s why your stories are more in the realm of fantasy and martial arts, not historical domination.”

“But that’s not necessarily true. These things don’t really affect how I write novels. I can still write about historical dominance, and who knows, maybe the next book will be about that.”

“But this book is where you’ve invested the most emotions, right?”

“Hmm… perhaps.”

“That’s just your nature, including turning down Mi Xiaolin,” Qiu Wuji said with a smiling glance, “Different paths, different ambitions… Qiu Wuji of the Cloud Horizon Sect, willing to learn from the ways of the creator god.”

“Oh, come on. There’s no need for all those formalities,” Chu Ge said, playfully shaking her hand. “I’m not a leader or anything. I don’t need to analyze issues from a high pedestal. Whether the resurgence of spiritual energy will affect the world isn’t something I should concern myself with, right? It’s not like I’m in some chat group discussing global matters. While earning a monthly salary of three thousand, I’d rather focus on writing a few more words.”

Qiu Wuji chuckled. “Aren’t you the one who said that every individual has a responsibility for the rise and fall of a nation? Your attitude doesn’t seem like you’re completely indifferent.”

“Whether or not others have superpowers isn’t my business in the first place. If they’re seeking personal gain and it doesn’t harm anyone, it’s not my concern. As long as they’re not causing harm, if you have the ability to earn billions, or even if you want to establish a country, I’d admire that. So I just need to focus on the key point of whether they’re harmful or not. Do this group of people seem harmless?”

Qiu Wuji smiled, “They don’t.”

“Even though they got blamed for Old Zhu’s suicide, why did they end up with that blame? Wasn’t it because they had previously harmed Old Zhu? They eyed his mine, and when he didn’t sell, they resorted to bullying. What kind of behavior is that?” Chu Ge’s expression turned somewhat grim. “And she said Du Lianfeng and Qi Chengtai are dead… I don’t know if what she said is true or not. It might just be a scare tactic, but that attitude isn’t benevolent. I’m not after any spiritual energy. Only a fool would collaborate with people like this.”

Qiu Wuji commented, “So, you don’t fit into any of those three categories, actually.”

“Where does that clear-cut definition come from? People have diverse backgrounds just like the variety of rice. What right do they have to categorize people’s hearts? I care about whether it will affect my Qiuqiu more than anything else. What does the rest have to do with me… I’m just a lousy writer, making a few thousand a month a couple of months ago…”

Just as they were talking, the roar of an engine suddenly filled the air. A convertible Ferrari pulled up beside them with a “roar.”

The young man who had approached them at the party flashed a smile from the car. “Hey there, beauty. We meet again. Where are you headed? Need a ride?”

Qiu Wuji’s gaze involuntarily assessed the car again. She seemed curious, and the young man’s face lit up with a smug smile as he glanced at Chu Ge.

Chu Ge smiled faintly, unfazed. Outsiders could never understand why Qiuqiu was examining the car in the first place. She didn’t even know how much the car was worth, and even if she did, she wouldn’t care…

Sure enough, Qiu Wuji quickly averted her gaze. “This car looks well-made and stylish, but it’s noisy, the back seat can’t fit anyone, and it doesn’t seem like you can carry much in it.”

Chu Ge chuckled, “Yeah.”

Young man in the car, “?”

Qiu Wuji explained, “Your car only has one passenger seat, how are you going to accommodate the two of us?”

The young man smiled, “Of course, I can only take you.”

“Oh, then goodbye,” Qiu Wuji said as she took Chu Ge’s hand and walked away swayingly.

The Ferrari followed them, “The party just now was just a business banquet, there was nothing special. Miss, are you interested in going to the best club and enjoying some fine Lafite wine?”

Qiu Wuji sneered, “Why are you so annoying? You were acting all dignified at the party, and now you’re acting like a cheap dog?”

The young man still smiled, “This just shows my persistent enthusiasm for you, Miss.”

Chu Ge finally couldn’t stand it, “Excuse me, can’t you see she has a boyfriend?”

“A boyfriend who makes a few thousand a month…” The young man didn’t even bother looking at Chu Ge. “For me, even glancing at someone like that would make me feel like I’ve been tainted with mud. Saying a few words would make my status drop by a dozen levels… He’s pretty much non-existent to me.”

Chu Ge found this so absurd that he burst out laughing.

Qiu Wuji also started laughing.

The young man stared at Qiu Wuji’s smiling face, seemingly entranced.

Truly beautiful… She looks even more beautiful the more I look at her. How could such a beautiful woman be with a guy who makes a few thousand a month, dressed in cheap clothes, not a single piece of jewelry on her?

But then he saw Chu Ge glance at the night sky in the distance, his eyes holding a deeper meaning. “Normally, there are plenty of idiots around, but those who are so eager and impatient are few. It’s probably… an appetizer arranged by someone.”

The young man was taken aback, feeling extremely puzzled. Why does it feel like in this guy’s eyes, I’m not that much different from non-existence…