Chapter 210 Heroic Fever
Undoubtedly, the release of "A Better Tomorrow" was a milestone.
A milestone in the domestic film industry, which led to the production of many copycat films.
Unfortunately, they weren't as lucky as "A Better Tomorrow." Some were poorly made, some were simply imitations, and some focused too much on the gunfights and gangster heroes, filming recklessly.
And surprisingly, none of these films were ever released.
Director Jin, who had given Jiang Bai a special favor, no longer had any intention of being a good person. Given the nature of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, it's understandable that these shows couldn't be shown.
This has led many industry insiders to criticize Empire Pictures for ripping people off, while also feeling uneasy about Empire Pictures' extensive network of connections.
All I know is that the films that were cut or banned have several backers who are industry giants.
Despite having an extraordinary network of connections, they still couldn't get a single screening opportunity. How could Empire Pictures have it so easily?
How could this not be alarming?
In addition to the industry's reaction, the film has also sparked a wave of hero fever.
Marc Jacobs' trench coat has undoubtedly become the best-selling garment, with manufacturers unable to meet the demand.
Dih Hu has once again demonstrated his prowess, proving that he is still as good as ever, and has once again jumped from the ranks of veteran actors who were about to retire to A-list superstars, with a constant stream of film offers.
Zhou Fa has shed his reputation as a box office poison and become an undisputed idol for the younger generation. Countless people are captivated by him, and his previous decline has been swept away, making him a superstar.
However, it was Ye Qingcheng who truly became famous.
No matter how well Di Hu acts, he's still just a character; and no matter how cool Zhou Fa is, there are limits.
Ye Qingcheng's beauty was so stunning that it was breathtaking. Almost overnight, she became a national goddess.
Countless people are crazy about it, and countless people are captivated by it.
Any goods bearing Ye Qingcheng's photo would sell out in no time, and Ye Qingcheng's posters were treasured by countless people.
Countless naive young boys dreamt of her beautiful figure in their sleep.
In short, Ye Qingcheng became an instant sensation, a phenomenal success, and was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world.
Within a week of its release, more than forty film companies approached Empire Pictures, the company Ye Qingcheng was signed with, wanting to hire her to act in their films.
Prices kept rising, with the salary for the last film soaring to 20 million, reaching the top of the industry.
Unfortunately, Ye Qingcheng refused all of them, stating that she would only be filming for Empire Pictures at the moment, leaving countless people disappointed.
Various television stations and media outlets came one after another, keeping Ye Qingcheng extremely busy and giving her almost no time to rest.
If Yao Lan hadn't been so fed up with it that she ordered Ye Qingcheng's assigned agent not to give Ye Qingcheng so much work, Ye Qingcheng might have collapsed from exhaustion.
Of course, many companies also racked their brains to poach Ye Qingcheng, Zhou Fa, Di Hu, and Cheng Daoyun, the four pillars of the newly established Empire Brokerage.
However, the four of them remembered the source of their blessings and none of them were willing to leave.
All of this happened too suddenly, too intensely, and even caught people off guard.
Ye Qingcheng's sudden rise to fame has aroused the wicked thoughts of many people. Countless people have been making insinuations to Yao Lan, but Yao Lan scoffs at them and completely ignores them.
With Jiang Bai around, Yao Lan felt very confident.
As for Jiang Bai, the third male lead, he has also received a lot of attention, although most people think his acting skills are just average and the character is not very likable.
However, riding on this wave of heroism, Jiang Bai also began to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry and became somewhat famous.
Many people recognize him, but very few can name him.
It has to be said that, compared to the other main actors, Jiang Bai's position is... quite awkward.
It's worth noting that although Ye Qingcheng is touted as the female lead, in "A Better Tomorrow," a film primarily featuring men, her screen time is less than half that of Jiang Bai.
But Ye Qingcheng became incredibly popular, while Jiang Bai was completely ignored.
This made Jiang Bai sigh, "This world that judges people by their appearance makes no sense."
However, Jiang Bai did not come away empty-handed. Riding on this wave of enthusiasm for the hero, Jiang Bai gained more than 10,000 prestige points, an amount that was astonishing.
This is still the case even though Jiang Bai only played the third male lead and also had a screenwriter position, which wasn't a particularly eye-catching result.
If Jiang Bai were to take on the roles of producer, director, and lead actor, and produce a film of similar popularity, he would likely gain several times more prestige.
But all of this is a story for later. After the premiere, Jiang Bai, as the host and boss, invited everyone to dinner.
Since we're all old acquaintances, there's no reason for us to refuse.
So, that night, a feast and a lot of drinking were inevitable.
Everyone was quite drunk, even Yao Lan, who was in high spirits, and Ye Qingcheng, who was extremely excited, were both drunk.
Left with no other choice, Jiang Bai could only arrange for Zhou Fa and the others to stay at a hotel.
With Xiao Tian's help, they carried Ye Qingcheng and Yao Lan home.
It wasn't that Jiang Bai had any ulterior motives, but it was really dangerous for two girls to stay in a hotel without anyone to take care of them, especially since they were two outrageously beautiful women.
Although Marriott has now been renamed Imperial Hotel and is under Jiang Bai's control, he is still somewhat uneasy.
In these kinds of situations, it's better to be safe than sorry.
If something really happens, then it will be too late to regret it.
However, Jiang Bai soon regretted his foolish actions.
The two, who were originally dead drunk, somehow became energetic once they arrived at Jiang Bai's house.
Yao Lan was one thing, she was a crazy woman, Jiang Bai had seen her drunk before, but Ye Qingcheng really broadened Jiang Bai's horizons.
This girl, in a daze, went crazy with Yao Lan, doing whatever Yao Lan did.
They opened a few more bottles at Jiang Bai's house. Jiang Bai had just acquired these famous wines to show off, and they were worth over a million.
That's one thing, but the two of them were drinking and singing, and jumping around every now and then, completely disregarding the fact that their clothes had already been mostly torn off, revealing their genitals. They were so carefree and had no regard for their image.
The disturbance lasted until midnight, during which several of Jiang Bai's prized possessions were smashed.
That's fine...
What's worse, these two women went crazy and tore Jiang Bai's clothes to shreds.
It also left several bloody scars on Jiang Bai's body. If it weren't for Jiang Bai's special physique and super recovery ability, these scars would probably take at least several days to fade.
After tossing and turning for most of the night, the two finally collapsed, drowsy and drunk, and then vomited all over the place, making a mess of the room.
This forced Jiang Bai to wake up the servants, drag the two women out, give them a thorough wash, and then throw them back into the room.
After finishing everything, it was already sunrise. Exhausted, Jiang Bai dragged his weary body back to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 211 Yao Lan Acts Unscrupulously
The next afternoon, Jiang Bai slowly woke up, opened his eyes, and stepped out of the room. He saw two women who were obviously exhausted and still looked drunk and tired.
It was almost sunset, and Ye Qingcheng and Yao Lan were clearly still in shock, looking haggard and exhausted.
Sitting in Jiang Bai's living room, Yao Lan unceremoniously wore Jiang Bai's shirt, sat cross-legged on the sofa with her legs bare, and stared blankly at a cup of coffee.
On another occasion, Ye Qingcheng followed suit and sat there without any hesitation, both of them looking rather listless.
When Jiang Bai came out, Yao Lan remained expressionless, her eyes glazed over.
Ye Qingcheng blushed slightly and placed a small pillow on her lap to cover herself.
Fortunately, Jiang Bai's house was staffed entirely with female servants, and the bodyguards were always outside and never entered the house without orders; otherwise, these two would have been exposed countless times.
"You two, next time... don't drink!"
Jiang Bai glanced at the two of them, uttered this casual remark, and turned to enter the kitchen.
He was a little hungry and needed to find something to eat.
As for the two people in the living room, upon hearing Jiang Bai's words, Ye Qingcheng's face turned red, and even Yao Lan seemed slightly embarrassed, her face flushed.
The two then looked at each other and could no longer hold back, bursting into laughter, their previous fatigue vanishing instantly.
The two women stayed at Jiang Bai's house until evening. After dinner, Jiang Bai wanted to send them away.
But Yao Lan shamelessly insisted that Jiang Bai's place was much better than her dilapidated house. She said she worked herself to the bone for Jiang Bai, but he treated her terribly, like a blood-drinking, cannibalistic capitalist from the old society.
They relentlessly suppressed her labor.
She strongly insisted on having a house here, as she wanted to settle down here from now on.
Jiang Bai remained silent. It was true that he had been somewhat irresponsible, and it was also true that the company had embarrassed Yao Lan in the process.
But he didn't exploit Yao Lan. The Imperial Enterprises awarded Yao Lan 5% of its shares as a bonus. Judging from the current situation, Yao Lan could gain tens of millions of yuan from these shares that she couldn't take with her this year alone.
In addition to her fixed annual salary and bonuses, Yao Lan's salary is at least around 30 million.
She's quite the little rich woman, and with the continuous expansion and improvement of the empire, Yao Lan's foreseeable income next year will definitely exceed 100 million.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the "Emperor of Hired Managers".
Go out and ask around, which CEO gets such good treatment?
The boss doesn't interfere, he has a lot of power, and he gets such a high salary, plus bonuses and profit sharing.
If these are all capitalists, Jiang Bai really can't imagine what a benevolent businessman would look like.
"You're clearly being a scoundrel!"
Jiang Bai was furious at Yao Lan's behavior and pointed at her, shouting loudly.
If it were a different time or a different person, Jiang Bai would definitely have agreed.
A stunningly beautiful woman has asked to live with you?
Any normal man would agree to it.
But if this person happens to be Yao Lan, then the situation is different.
Yao Lan may seem promiscuous, but she's actually quite conservative. She'll seduce you all day long, making you anxious and frustrated, but you can forget about getting the slightest advantage.
Her words are sickeningly sweet, and her clothing is revealing and provocative.
You might not be able to eat, and they'll tease you all day long. Who could stand that?
When Jiang Bai and Yao Lan lived next door to each other, they tried their best to avoid this woman.
Now that they've finally gotten rid of Yao Lan, how could they possibly walk right back into her trap?
Letting her move in is no different from inviting a wolf into the house.
Besides, what time is it now?
Just two days ago, Jiang Bai was caught red-handed by Lin Wanru.
Lin Wanru's words were beautiful: she wanted to compete fairly with Jiang Yuqing, but she refused to see Jiang Yuqing after she left.
Isn't it really because he's angry with himself?
I've been back for several days now, and Lin Wanru hasn't paid any attention to me.
During this sensitive period, Jiang Yuqing and Lin Wanru could come again at any time. If they come and see Yao Lan, how can we explain it?
Do you expect someone like Yao Lan to honestly explain things clearly when the time comes?
Keep dreaming.
She did not gloat and fan the flames; that would be doing Jiang Bai a favor.
Moreover, Jiang Bai knew Yao Lan's usual behavior very well. Who knew how promiscuous she would be in this house?
Think back to when she first woke up, what was she dressed like?
There was nothing there, just a shirt?
If someone sees this, it would be a miracle if they didn't misunderstand.
"Mind your own business! I'm not leaving! Either you throw me out now, then I'll quit and you can run your own company! Or I'll just stay here."
Yao Lan was clearly being unreasonable, and she threw the keys to Xiao Tian as she spoke: "Tian'er, go and move all my clothes and furniture over. Oh, and... find a woman to tidy up the underwear in the closet. But if you want, you can tidy it up yourself. I have a few pieces that I wear often. You can touch them, but don't tear them. Be careful not to let anyone see."
One sentence left Jiang Bai speechless.
Xiao Tian over there also blushed deeply.
Neither he nor Jiang Bai could deal with such a female hooligan.
If this were a man, Jiang Bai would guarantee that Xiao Tian would have already rushed over and given him a good beating.
But this person just so happens to be Yao Lan...
Xiao Tian, who came from a background of red-handed spies, could only remain silent.
"Fine! If you want to stay, then stay..."
Now that things have come to this, what else can Jiang Bai do? He glanced at Yao Lan with a gloomy face, and finally said helplessly, which can be considered a compromise.
He really had no way to deal with someone as stubborn and unyielding as Yao Lan.
That guy Yin Tianchou, who's known as the tough guy of Hong Kong, doesn't seem so difficult to deal with.
"You're smart to know what's good for you! Don't worry, sister, you won't regret letting me stay here. You'll be very lucky from now on, master... meow..."
Yao Lan smiled triumphantly and said smugly.
Then the tone shifted abruptly. She pulled down her already revealing collar, exposing most of her chest, and then winked at Jiang Bai.
It called out "Master" directly, then twisted its body and, mimicking a wild cat in heat, uttered a phrase that stirred the heart.
This made Xiao Tian turn his head away immediately, not daring to look at Yao Lan anymore.
Jiang Bai covered his forehead with his hand, looking helpless.
This Yao Lan is going to be in big trouble now that she's living here.
Jiang Bai, who was about to leave with a dark expression after lowering his arm, was surprised to find that Ye Qingcheng was staring at him pitifully with her big, watery eyes.
What are you going to do now?
Jiang Bai said irritably.
He would never normally speak to Ye Qingcheng like that, but this time it really angered Yao Lan.
Moreover, he felt that Ye Qingcheng had already been corrupted by Yao Lan.
Chapter 212 Yao Lan!!!
"I…I have nowhere to live either, the company didn't arrange housing for me."
The pitiful Ye Qingcheng stretched out one hand and placed it next to her head, mimicking a good student answering a teacher's question, and whispered.
After saying this, she looked at Jiang Bai with eyes as bright as stars, her eyes already filled with tears.
It was as if she would burst into tears immediately if Jiang Bai didn't agree.
After saying this, he glanced at Yao Lan, who was smiling beside him.
It seems to suggest that Yao Lan, as the general manager of Empire Film and Empire Brokerage, and also the president of Empire Enterprise, did not arrange a room for herself, rather than doing so voluntarily.
although...
Although Jiang Bai knew that this was likely fake, and that Ye Qingcheng was probably acting.
It's very likely that Yao Lan taught her all of this, but... Jiang Bai still couldn't resist.
In fact, Jiang Bai didn't think any man in the world could resist Ye Qingcheng's request.
Especially since this request was initiated by her asking to live with you.
"Sigh... Alright, you can stay here too. If there's anything you need to tidy up, Xiao Tian can go to the hotel and tidy it up for you while he's there."
With a helpless sigh, Jiang Bai said this.
Anyway, the New Year is coming soon, and I haven't been home for several years. Jiang Bai will definitely go back this time. Even if these two women stay here, they won't stay for long.
They also need to go back.
After the New Year...
Let's talk about this after the New Year. Ye Qingcheng will leave when she gets busy with work.
As for Yao Lan, we'll figure out a way to get rid of her when the time comes.
"yeah!"
Having received Jiang Bai's affirmative answer, Ye Qingcheng, who had just looked pitiful like a wounded stray dog, immediately changed her expression. Her face, which had been clouded with worry and on the verge of tears, suddenly lit up with a bright smile.
He jumped up and down, made a victory sign, and even ran over happily to give Yao Lan a high five.
This made Jiang Bai's face turn as black as it could possibly be.
As expected... I've been tricked.
Sure enough... this was something she and Yao Lan had planned.
He turned and left angrily, ignoring the two excited women.
Xiao Tian, following Jiang Bai's instructions, gathered people and took two maids with him before leaving to help them move.
Jiang Bai went upstairs to the second floor, entered the study, turned on the phone, and watched a movie by himself.
Sitting in this enormous study, which spans 500 square meters and is filled with books, Jiang Bai had no intention of studying diligently. Instead, he picked up a soap opera and watched it by himself, trying to get rid of his worries.
But before he could even quiet down for a moment, shrill music and screams from a beautiful woman came from downstairs.
The sound was loud and deafening; the trembling music made Jiang Bai feel like it was about to shake the house down.
For the first time, Jiang Bai felt that the Swedish audio equipment he had specially ordered was the biggest mistake of his life.
Despite turning the volume up to the maximum and putting on headphones, Jiang Bai still couldn't escape the other party's torment.
The room was quiet for less than two minutes when the door was opened. Yao Lan, dressed in jeans and a thin shirt, opened the door and called out to Jiang Bai, "Jiang Bai, come out and drink with me and Qingcheng!"
As he spoke, he shook the bottle of red wine he had just opened and took a small sip.
Upon seeing that bottle of wine, Jiang Bai felt as if his heart was bleeding.
This is a rare Bordeaux wine from 1787, the only one of its kind in the world. I shamelessly asked for it when I visited Zao Wou-Ki's house last time.
In truth, Zhao Wuji was also reluctant to part with it. That bottle of wine had changed hands countless times before finally ending up in his hands. However, due to his poor health, he was destined to be without wine for the rest of his life. Besides, since Jiang Bai had asked, he gave it to him.
It is said that Zao Wou-Ki spent two million euros to acquire this bottle of wine. Keep in mind that this bottle of wine was only worth $160,000 at auction in 1985. Zao Wou-Ki later spent almost ten times that amount to buy it.
I brought Jiang Bai back and couldn't bear to drink it; I kept it as a treasure.
This liquor isn't meant to be drunk; it's meant to be used to show off.
It had been hidden deep inside the wine cabinet, but this woman unexpectedly found it.
"You...you...you...do you know how much this wine costs?"
Jiang Bai felt his blood rushing to his head, and he wished he could rush over and beat Yao Lan up right away.
"How much? Pfft, it doesn't matter how much it costs, it's just alcohol, what's wrong with drinking it! You stingy bastard! I'll just drink with you!"
Yao Lan glanced disdainfully at the furious Jiang Bai and said mockingly.
After saying that, he took another sip from the bottle, then smacked his lips: "This wine is not bad, just a little sour..."
Jiang Bai felt his heart bleed at the sight.
"Yao Lan!!" Jiang Bai practically shouted, startling Yao Lan.
Ye Qingcheng, who was clearly drunk and carrying a bottle of Lafite, came out from outside, following Yao Lan. She looked at Jiang Bai with an innocent expression and said, "What's wrong? What's wrong? Did Sister Yao Lan offend you?"
Jiang Bai glared angrily at Yao Lan and said, "Yao Lan, you're not getting your bonus this year! Not a single penny! And that bottle of 1787 Bordeaux you're holding—there's only one of its kind in the whole world!"
"Two million euros, and I had to shamelessly beg for it! And you just let me drink it all! You're really something!"
Yao Lan was taken aback by the words. She then looked at the slightly worn and damaged label of the wine in her hand, shook it a couple of times, and took a sip.
Then he handed it directly to Ye Qingcheng.
"This wine is so expensive, more expensive than gold, but it's not all that great. Qingcheng, you should try it... you might as well drink it."
Before Ye Qingcheng could react, he pointed the bottle at her tempting mouth and poured it all down her throat.
Jiang Bai was so angry that his face turned pale, but there was nothing he could do.
Jiang Bai stormed downstairs, opened a bottle, and started drinking it.
He realized that he couldn't keep the hundred-plus bottles of fine wine he had obtained from Wu Zhong and Wu Tian.
Given that, there's no reason for Yao Lan to benefit from this.
The consequence, naturally, was that all three of them got completely drunk.
When he woke up the next day, he still had a headache. Looking at Yao Lan and Ye Qingcheng lying on either side of him, Jiang Bai gave a bitter smile.
Nothing happened between them, of course. The three of them were fully dressed and simply asleep on the living room floor.
The ground was a mess, with empty bottles everywhere.
Recalling the scene of singing loudly with those two lunatics last night, Jiang Bai could only manage a bitter smile.
This is incredibly embarrassing; those people outside probably heard everything clearly.
Sure enough, anything related to Yao Lan never turns out to be good. Ye Qingcheng is such a good girl, so innocent...
Now look what's happened, he's been hanging out with Yao Lan for only a few days?
He became an alcoholic, and his drinking habits... were really terrible.
Chapter 213 Going Home
Yao Lan and Ye Qingcheng stayed at Jiang Bai's place for more than half a month, and with the Spring Festival approaching, they still showed no signs of leaving.
Every night, I have to drink Jiangbai liquor, and most of the good liquor that Jiangbai has collected has already been consumed.
Jiang Bai was helpless in the face of the two women's outrageous behavior and ultimately colluded with them.
They lived a pretty good life, living a life of hedonism and indulgence.
However, after indulging for only a few days, Jiang Bai discovered that no matter how drunk he got at night, Yao Lan would always be at work on time the next day.
It didn't interfere with her work, otherwise Jiang Bai would really have to consider whether he should change the CEO of the group.
After all, a CEO who's an alcoholic seems... a bit unreliable no matter how you look at it.
While thinking about these things, he completely forgot that he, the big boss, spent every day drinking with that drunkard.
As for Ye Qingcheng, she had plenty of free time. She spent her days going crazy with Yao Lan, doing yoga, and rarely went out. She was very relaxed.
As for the uproar about the hero outside, she seemed completely unaware, showing no awareness of becoming a national goddess, and spending her days going crazy with that madwoman Yao Lan.
With the Spring Festival approaching, Jiang Bai had no choice but to leave his home and embark on his journey home, leaving his luxurious home to two women who claimed they wouldn't be going home for the New Year either.
Jiang Bai left with a heavy heart, and as he stepped out of his house, a sense of sorrow welled up inside him...
Knowing Yao Lan's personality, he estimated that by the time he returned, she would have squandered all the drinkable liquor in the house.
Jiang Bai really couldn't understand how a young woman could be so addicted to alcohol.
What I don't understand is, if Yao Lan is a woman with a story and uses alcohol to numb herself, that's understandable, but why would Ye Qingcheng, who is innocent and pure like crystal, follow her around like that?
These days it's starting to sound like alcohol poisoning.
When Jiang Bai was on his way home, he contacted Lin Wanru and invited her to come home with him, but Wanru refused.
In her words, she and Jiang Yuqing had a gentleman's agreement that they could not break the rules.
But in truth, Jiang Bai knew that Lin Wanru was angry.
For nearly half a month, Jiang Yuqing had something to do and didn't come. In fact, according to the information Jiang Bai got from Jiang Yuqing's phone call, Jiang Yuqing had already told Lin Wanru.
According to their agreement, Lin Wanru was supposed to meet Jiang Bai alone at least once, but she still didn't come.
That's clearly someone who's angry.
Jiang Bai was well aware of this, but he never pointed it out.
He had no choice but to return home alone.
It happened to be during the Spring Festival travel rush, and through connections, he managed to get two train tickets. One was given to Lin Wanru, and the other was for Jiang Bai's personal use.
It wasn't that Xiao Tian and Jiang Bai had a falling out, nor that Xiao Tian refused to see Jiang Bai off, nor that Jiang Bai had suddenly fallen on hard times; it was simply that Jiang Bai was afraid to let anyone take him home.
I'm afraid that if they really send them back in a big entourage, it will terrify the old man and woman.
Prior to this, although Jiang Bai claimed that he had earned some money and had already transferred hundreds of thousands of yuan to his family, this was still within the realm of understanding.
If Jiang Bai let Xiao Tian drive that newly bought black Bentley back, Jiang Bai was afraid that the old man would not be able to handle it and would faint.
In order not to give the elderly too much of a shock and to let them adapt gradually, Jiang Bai thought it would be better to take a car.
In fact, Jiang Bai had done this every year before, and the old man would ask for the time and wait at the station every year. Jiang Bai was unwilling to change it.
So after saying goodbye to the two women who had taken over his home, Jiang Bai called Lin Wanru, but when she still didn't answer, he had no choice but to get into the car.
The Spring Festival travel rush is about to begin, but it's not yet the peak period. There are quite a few people on the trains, but it's far from being so crowded that it's impossible to move.
The real peak period will be a few days later, close to the Spring Festival, when a large number of people returning home will begin their massive journey, like ants carrying food.
Once on the train, Jiang Bai went straight to his carriage and found it already full of people.
There were four berths in total, two of which were already occupied. A young man wearing glasses was lying there, while two other young men were sitting and chatting beside his bed.
It's not hard to guess that they were actually together, but these two didn't buy sleeper tickets and only had standing tickets, so they were just hanging out together for fun.
Although it's a bit crowded, it's still better than standing outside.
Jiang Bai had seen this situation before.
On the other berth, a pretty young girl was putting on her makeup with a mirror. She was not bad looking; at least she wasn't as fat as a pig or as unsightly as a pig.
While she was getting ready, she chatted with a few boys next to her. When Jiang Bai came in, she was smiling brightly because of what the boy next to her said.
At this time of year, those who are truly working hard to earn money haven't even started going home yet. In order to earn more money, they are unwilling to leave the city where they work so diligently until the very last moment.
So those who are now returning to their hometowns are mostly young people, primarily students.
So when Jiang Bai entered and saw several young faces, he wasn't surprised. He smiled and nodded at them without saying anything.
Then he looked up at his upper bunk, which was still completely empty.
This made Jiang Bai smile wryly; this seat belonged to Lin Wanru, and she obviously hadn't come.
In the past, Jiang Bai would accompany Lin Wanru home every year. Although the two of them didn't have a very good relationship at the time and didn't talk much... Lin Wanru would mostly be with a few fellow villagers.
However, out of a sense of responsibility as an older brother and out of his parents' admonitions, Jiang Bai still did his best.
This was the first time Jiang Bai hadn't gone back with Lin Wanru.
"Hey buddy, wanna smoke?"
Jiang Bai had just sat down when a boy in the lower bunk opposite him lit a cigarette and then offered one to his companion.
Just as he was about to put the cigarette away, he saw Jiang Bai across from him and asked with a smile.
Meanwhile, one has already been thrown over.
It wasn't very expensive, just twenty yuan a pack of ordinary Yunyan cigarettes, but Jiang Bai didn't mind. He himself smoked seven-yuan Hongtashan cigarettes.
Although I recently hooked up with Zhao Wuji, a big fish, and have gotten plenty of cigarettes and alcohol from him, the quality of my cigarettes has been upgraded to the level of special supply.
However, this does not mean that Jiang Bai's status has been elevated and he will stop smoking other cigarettes.
Lighting a cigarette, Jiang Bai asked with a smile, "Where are you from? Going home?"
"Yangcheng, we're all from the same school, Tiandu University of Technology. That beautiful girl upstairs is from Tiandu Academy of Fine Arts, but she's not in our group. She's from Zhucheng. What about you? What do you do? You don't look like a student."
Jiang Bai was happy to talk, and the other party responded enthusiastically.
Since everyone was young, they naturally didn't hold back when they spoke.
Chapter 214 Who told you you couldn't?
"Me? I'm also from Yangcheng, but I'm not a college student. I run a small business here."
Jiang Bai smiled and replied.
What kind of business do you run?
The boys didn't ask, but the girl on the upper bunk, dressed in her finest clothes, put down her small makeup mirror and asked.
"Well... it's just small business, nothing respectable."
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Bai smiled.
It's true that he does business, but when asked what exactly he does, he can't say. He's probably dabbled in all sorts of industries.
Moreover, they are not related by blood or marriage, and they are just strangers who met by chance. Jiang Bai has no need to reveal all his secrets to the other party, right?
Is it just because the other person is a woman?
Hearing this, the girl probably thought Jiang Bai was doing some low-class business, so she stopped talking, smiled, and continued to dress herself.
Jiang Bai chuckled inwardly at this, but remained silent.
"Hey, your bunkmate hasn't boarded yet? The train's about to leave."
The young people over there didn't seem to have many thoughts about it; they continued chatting and laughing with Jiang Bai.
After a while, when the train was about to depart, someone glanced at Jiang Bai's upper bunk and couldn't help but ask.
"She probably isn't coming."
Jiang Bai glanced at the empty upper bunk and said thoughtfully.
It seems Lin Wanru is still angry and unwilling to travel with him.
"Who told you it's not possible?"
Just then, Lin Wanru's voice rang out, carrying a somewhat cold tone.
Following the sound, Lin Wanru, carrying a large red suitcase, was standing at the doorway.
Jiang Bai smiled without saying a word, and the young people over there looked in the direction of the voice and were immediately amazed.
One of them slapped the young man who was lying down reading a book. The young man with glasses came to his senses and looked towards the door. He should have looked away, because he was stunned when he did.
Is Lin Wanru pretty?
It is naturally beautiful, without a doubt.
At this moment, she was even more radiant, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, a faint smile on her serene face, extremely shy yet dazzling.
She exudes the charm of a delicate, refined young lady from the Jiangnan water towns.
Although she was actually a person from the Central Plains.
Her appearance immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room.
Even the girl in the upper bunk was drawn over by her voice. Seeing Lin Wanru's gloomy face, she snorted coldly and didn't say anything, whether out of jealousy or something else, no one knew.
"Beautiful lady… I'm here to help you… I'm here to help you…"
One of the three, a rather handsome young man, immediately stood up, flashed a bright smile, and hurriedly took the box from Lin Wanru's hands to help her put it away.
The other two also realized what was happening and offered words of comfort and warmth.
Jiang Bai smiled but remained silent, not uttering a word from beginning to end.
Lin Wanru, standing beside him, didn't say another word to Jiang Bai after the first sentence, as if Jiang Bai didn't exist at all, or as if she didn't know Jiang Bai at all.
On the contrary, he was very friendly to the three young men who were trying to curry favor with him. Although he was not as unrestrained as he was with Yao Lan, he did not hide his affection for them at all.
Their cheerful conversation clearly aroused other thoughts in the young people.
Jiang Bai saw all of this but didn't say anything. He wasn't stupid; Lin Wanru was clearly doing it on purpose.
This is clearly retaliation for his previous affair with Jiang Yuqing.
Before they knew it, as the train was traveling, the red sun hanging in the sky gradually set. During this time, Lin Wanru and several young people went out to eat together.
Of course, as a courtesy, the young men also invited Jiang Bai and the girl in the upper bunk.
However, ever since Lin Wanru arrived, the three young men's gazes have all shifted to her, which makes the girl quite unhappy. So she doesn't agree and leaves on her own.
As for Jiang Bai... he didn't mind getting a free meal along.
During the meal, some young people suggested having a few drinks, but Jiang Bai politely declined.
As for Lin Wanru, she refused at this time. She never drinks alcohol, and she would not make an exception even to spite Jiang Bai.
She was just having a disagreement and getting angry with Jiang Bai; it wasn't like she wanted to completely sever ties with him, so she was still mindful of what she did.
This pleased Jiang Bai. Unconsciously, at this moment, he thought of Ye Qingcheng again, wondering how this silly child, who had been clearly corrupted by Yao Lan, would react in such a situation.
Will they drink a lot?
After all, she's a genuine alcoholic now.
After dinner, the group returned to their room. Bored, they suggested playing cards, and Jiang Bai, after being invited, joined in with a smile.
Lin Wanru watched from the side.
Dou Dizhu is an extremely simple game, and it can be played by four people.
It's a small game, only ten yuan, with unlimited bombs; each bomb doubles your winnings.
The result is self-evident.
The young men, who had originally wanted to show off their card skills in front of the beautiful women, were utterly defeated by Jiang Bai.
joke...
Jiang Bai is a master gambler with god-like skills. Let alone playing such childish games with a few students, even if you bring together the best gamblers from all over the world to sit at the same table with Jiang Bai, they might not be able to win.
The young men lost badly. They played Dou Dizhu (a card game) for ten yuan, and after two hours, they had lost all the cash they had. The three of them lost more than four thousand yuan to Jiang Bai, and they also owed Jiang Bai three thousand yuan.
This made the young men's eyes bloodshot, and they refused to think about anything else. Things like beautiful women were now forgotten, and they only wanted to continue playing with Jiang Bai.
They were all students. Although their families were relatively well-off, they weren't wealthy. Several thousand yuan was a significant sum for them, so they were naturally unwilling to accept losing like that.
Unfortunately, gambling is something that is difficult to control once you get carried away with it; you will not only fail to win, but you will also lose even more miserably.
The result was predictable: after a few people suggested going all out and raising the stakes to fifty, they were really in trouble.
In just one hour, the group owed Jiang Bai tens of thousands of yuan.
Now, even the girl lying in the upper bunk was getting uneasy. You can lose tens of thousands playing cards on the train...
This is... a truly bizarre story.
The young people's faces were deathly pale, their expressions constantly shifting between anger and despair. They had just lost tens of thousands of yuan.
What are they supposed to do?
They might try to renege on their debts... but the amount is substantial. Even if they dare to say it, they need someone to agree first.
Honestly, if it were them, they wouldn't agree to someone defaulting on such a large debt.
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment, and the expressions on the faces of the young people were uncertain.
As if he had seen through this, Jiang Bai smiled, then threw down the cards in his hand: "You owe me 30,000, but I don't want this money back, how about it?"
"real?"
Upon hearing this, the three men's faces lit up with surprise, and they stared at Jiang Bai in disbelief.
That's thirty thousand, not thirty thousand...
You just say you don't want it anymore?