Chapter 23 I Have No Other Friends

Chapter 23 I Have No Other Friends

Zhao Shengge isn’t one to invite awkwardness. Once he decides to drop something, he means it.

Sometimes, when Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan can’t avoid mentioning it, he stays focused and unaffected.

Zhao Shengge isn’t one to repeat the same mistake twice.

Three strikes and you’re out—businessmen know when to cut their losses.

Luckily, Shi Zhangmin keeps his promises and quickly connected Chen Wan, who, with strong execution, jumped right into it.

Shi Zhangmin indeed did not deceive him; the situation was murky, so much so that Chen Wan felt both scared and unsure for a while.

For months, Zhuo Zhixuan barely saw Chen Wan, and his texts were few and far between. Concerned, he called him up: "What, are you busier than Zhao Shengge these days? Monica said you didn’t go for your follow-up last week. Come on, Chen Wan, do I have to drag you out myself?"

Technically, doctors aren’t supposed to share patients’ details, but Chen Wan’s situation is special, and Zhuo Zhixuan is genuinely concerned about him. Monica hopes he can cheer Chen Wan up, so she occasionally shares non-private matters with Zhuo Zhixuan.

Chen Wan, swamped with overtime, felt a bit of warmth from his friend’s concern: "Oh, I cleared it with the doctor. I’ve been really busy lately. I’ll take you out once this is over."

"..." Zhuo Zhixuan, as a privileged guy, knows Chen Wan works hard but hasn’t walked in his shoes, putting on a smile and hustling for a deal. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "What’s going on with you? You’ve got to tell us if something’s up."

"I’m fine, just still working on that project from last time. It’s been a lot of legwork. How about you guys, how have you been?"

"Boring," Zhuo Zhixuan said, "It’s not the same without you."

Chen Wan pressed his nose bridge: "I don’t talk much when I’m there." He mostly just watches the guys have fun, rarely joining in.

"It’s not the same, but actually, Zhao Shengge doesn’t come out much now either." Zhuo Zhixuan hasn’t seen him much more than Chen Wan has.

Chen Wan, who has been running around tirelessly these days, suddenly hearing that name felt like stepping out of the grind into a breathtaking sunset.

The sunset is beautiful, distant and magnificent, a different world that offers Chen Wan a moment of relief.

"Let’s not talk about him." Zhuo Zhixuan’s a bit annoyed. Chen Wan hasn’t appeared for so long, and Zhao Shengge hasn’t asked a word, not even Jiang Ying, who met Chen Wan later, occasionally inquires about his recent situation.

Zhao Shengge’s coldness isn’t in what he says or how he acts—it’s deeper than that.

Zhuo Zhixuan has seen through him, heartless, clueless, and a pain.

But Chen Wan thought, why stop talking? Say more.

Zhuo Zhixuan told him some other things and repeatedly advised Chen Wan not to shoulder everything alone and to definitely tell him if he couldn’t handle it.

Chen Wan agreed to everything.

In the evening, Zhao Shengge declined Tan Youming’s invitation; wherever Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan are, that name would come up.

Zhao Shengge no longer wants to hear it.

He is not interested in Chen Wan’s affairs, only thinking the other is not smart. Zhao Shengge was educated from a young age that the strong prey on the weak, and the victor is king.

Zhao Shengge does not believe in divine reward for diligence, nor in water dripping through stone.

A turtle can only win in a race against a hare by sheer chance and luck.

People who take the long way around need to learn the hard way.

Until he saw Chen Wan again at the casino hotel in Galaxy Bay.

He looked even thinner now.

The withered leaves were nearly parched, and Zhao Shengge could hardly recognize that this was the same leaf that had once drifted into his window by chance.

Chen Wan wore a sleek, high-quality black silk shirt that made his face look luxurious, paired with tailored trousers that accentuated his slim waist. He flashed a flawless smile, clinking glasses and joining in the gambling.

He was a smooth operator, effortlessly charming his way through with his looks and charm.

The poker chips, gold coins, and betting markers made him seem less refined, almost coarse, exuding a raw, almost primal allure.

Chen Wan was striking, but his humble position lent him a fragile, almost tragic air, leaning in a way that left people craving more.

Under the glittering lights, Zhao Shengge couldn’t read Chen Wan’s face, so he dismissed it as a mask, a hollow charm that was still captivating.

He wanted to call Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming to see what their friend had turned into.

Zhao Shengge had sworn not to overstep or be met with indifference again, but he figured a little mercy now and then wouldn’t hurt. After all, Minglong signed a monthly donation to charity funds that far exceeded this.

But as it turned out, Zhao Shengge was too arrogant.

When the secretary informed him the project had been shortlisted before they could act, Zhao Shengge looked up from the report.

The secretary opened the folder and said something, making Zhao Shengge’s brow slowly crease.

On the morning when the partner called to inform that Kexiang had won the bid, Chen Wan’s month-long tension finally eased. He felt an odd void, like he’d just stepped back from the edge of a cliff.

He’d even braced himself for the worst, as he had drunk a lot that day at Galaxy Bay, and the other party showed no signs of relenting.

But once again, hard work bore fruit, and no effort went unrewarded. Chen Wan was delighted and prepared to fulfill his promise by inviting Zhuo Zhixuan to celebrate over a meal, but instead, he faced a furious outburst.

"Chen Wan, what the hell are you thinking? You attended the customs hearing? You appeared as a witness? I wouldn’t have known if someone hadn’t told me. Who the hell gave you the nerve!?"

If it weren’t for someone in his family working in customs, he wouldn’t have known that Chen Wan had participated as a third-party testing representative in a major foreign trade smuggling case, which involved a series of officials implicated in corruption and bribery. This was a major case, and being thrust into the spotlight as a pawn in political games was something no one wanted.

When Zhuo Zhixuan heard that Chen Wan had appeared, he was terrified.

"Do you know who’s backing Luo Qiansheng? Do you think a hearing is enough to bring him down? That’s naive, Chen Wan. Let me tell you, once someone springs him, you’ll be a pawn, powerless and at their mercy."

Chen Wan waited quietly for him to vent, then calmly explained, "Ah Xuan, that’s the game. You win some, you lose some."

He wanted to secure that project, so he had to pay the price. The people he needed to approach were determined to bring down Luo’s faction. He had the professional qualifications to appear as a third-party witness, and since others were unwilling, he was willing. That’s why the deal was his.

Chen Wan’s response only stoked Zhuo Zhixuan’s fury. He was fed up with his friend’s stubbornness and his habit of making decisions without consultation. "So this is what you meant by having a solution? You could handle it? Didn’t I tell you to come to me if you were in over your head, so we could figure it out together? I said that, didn’t I? And you agreed, didn’t you? Did you just agree casually? Are you brushing me off? Or don’t you trust me?"

"Yes, I’m not capable, but there’s still Tan Youming, isn’t there? If Tan Youming can’t handle it, there’s Shen Zongnian! If all else fails, I’ll go and beg Zhao Shengge, okay? I’ll personally go to his doorstep and beg him. Is there anything in Haishi that Zhao Shengge can’t fix?!"

"Why do you have to be so stubborn!! Why can you ask others for help but not trouble Zhao Shengge? Is Zhao Shengge so special, so noble?"

Zhuo Zhixuan was truly furious, his voice cracking, "Chen Wan, you’re always like this, stubborn and unwilling to listen to others! You refuse to accept help from anyone. Do you think it’s noble to give without taking? To dance on the edge of a blade?"

In his early days, Chen Wan had done even more outrageous things—drinking until he vomited blood to secure a deal with a client; risking his life playing target practice with officials to get a permit signed.

He looked so calm and gentle, like a gentleman, but in reality, he was a madman, ruthless to others and even more ruthless to himself, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals.

Zhuo Zhixuan used to say that if only he had the ability, he could help. He was just a young master with an empty title, watching his friends suffer while he could do nothing.

When he said this, Chen Wan would look at him in confusion, "What nonsense are you talking about? What does this have to do with you?"

It was his unwillingness to be a trampled and humiliated ant in the Chen family, and his determination to get closer to Zhao Shengge.

Once a choice is made, one must bear the consequences.

But this time, Zhuo Zhixuan was truly infuriated, so angry he could barely breathe, and he lashed out mercilessly: "Chen Wan, let me be honest, I know that people like Tan Youming and Shen Zongnian don’t count as friends in your eyes. Don’t bother arguing. You think you’re attentive and responsive to others, but I can see that you draw clear lines in everything, keeping everything distinct and separate."

"I’m well aware of all this. Others might be fine, but what about me! Do you even consider me a friend!!"

"Ask yourself, do you? From the moment that year when Zhuo Zhixuan pushed me into the water and everyone stood by watching, only you were willing to jump in and save me, I’ve always thought of you as my best friend. And you? What do you really think of me in your heart?"

"Is it so hard to tell me about something this big? You think you’re so tough and independent, but in reality, you’re very cold-blooded, heartless. You, Chen Wan, might seem all caring and righteous, but in truth, you’re the most heartless, the most clear-cut."

Zhuo Zhixuan’s accusations were almost frenzied, driven by the other’s stubbornness and his own sense of helplessness.

"What kind of business is this that you’re willing to risk everything for, that you have to throw yourself into it!"

"What if it doesn’t work out? Will Kexiang go bankrupt?"

"Of course I consider you a friend!"

Chen Wan didn’t argue about anything else; he only felt the need to explain this one point.

Chen Wan paused for a moment, then said softly, "You’re my only friend, Ah Xuan."

Author’s note:

Zhuo Zhixuan: Just let it all burn.