Xu couldn't fully empathize with Xiao Ran's attitude toward money. "These clothes are props. Tonight you'll get resources bigger than outfits," Xiao Ran said.
Xu scolded him jokingly: "You have to stop wasting money. Spendthrift now, trouble later." Xiao Ran rolled his eyes. He couldn't be moved by lectures about his family's power.
They lingered a while, ate dessert, then returned to the deck. "How was the taste of being rich?" Xiao Ran asked.
"It's okay. I don't like how you rich kids treat money like nothing. They crave being looked up to," Xu said.
Xiao Ran was patient — being brave the first step; Xu's natural guts had shown tonight.
"I won't force you about Anran," Xiao Ran said. "I'll always back you."
Somewhere on the ship, snipers and hitmen were watching. A foreign observer and an assassin named Vulture discussed whether to take a shot; they decided not to risk civilians and instead offered a bounty to someone called Eastern to discreetly remove an ordinary person nearby — a million dollars if he could.
Unaware of these plots, Xu marveled at the power and connections around him. To the rich, these were small games; to others, life-changing.
"You're not interested in money, you know that," Xu said to Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran laughed. "I'm not against money, I just don't worship it."
"You probably haven't been home in a long time, right?" Xiao Ran asked.
"About half a year — last went home at Spring Festival," Xu answered. TZ City was over 300 km from SZ — a long bus ride.
Xu felt his mother's worried voice again, the kind that had nagged him since he joined the military and then went to Su University. Despite humble means, his parents had always pushed him toward progress.
"You haven't made anything of yourself in half a year. This place doesn't suit you," Xiao Ran teased.
Xu sighed. Computer networking and programming didn't translate cleanly into influence without connections. Fame and access mattered more than pure skill. Rich influencers and pop idols could gain money with a few words; scientists and engineers rarely got that immediate reward.
"People here put on a show — designer clothes and flashy bags. But most are in debt. They want to hang on big fish," Xiao Ran said. "They're here to latch onto wealthy backers."
Xu was incredulous. "So they do it just to cling to big money?"
"Exactly. The afternoon teas and posed photos are just the entry level. The real cliques are run by kingpins. Most of the sportscars come from three clubs. I can introduce you to people like Wang Xiaocong and Qin Feng," Xiao Ran said.
Their conversation was interrupted when the former dealer — the rabbit girl — peeled off light makeup and approached them. "I'm Yu Jingjing. Nice to meet you," she said. She'd changed clothes and was suddenly familiar.
"You're the rabbit girl," Xu gushed. "Hi, I'm Xu Changqing. This is Xiao Ran."
"Ah, you're the Su University brainiac and his loyal wingman," Yu Jingjing smiled. Xu's heart fluttered. Xiao Ran shot a ribbing: "Don't drool."
Yu Jingjing told them some things about Li Anran that surprised Xiao Ran. Maybe Anran had troubles; maybe the two were never truly of the same world. Those whispers made Xiao Ran thoughtful.
"That girl is beautiful — a rose with thorns," Xiao Ran said later. He warned Xu that women like Yu Jingjing were dangerous and beyond his reach — yet if they played it right, Yu Jingjing could lead to contacts.
Xiao Ran cashed in his chips and gave the winnings to Xu. "Don't worry about paying it back. Consider it my fee for letting me be your wingman for four years," he said.
Xu swore to repay the kindness one day. Yu Jingjing was nicknamed the Violet Rose — or the Purple Rose — and Xiao Ran noted it with a smile.
When the rabbit girl approached Xiao Ran, he sensed something off. How convenient: a Su University "campus belle" working as a dealer? And he noticed Yu Jingjing's eyes had been watching Xu.
Xiao Ran tested her and realized she was there for Xu, not him. Her name might be real, but her purpose was to draw Xu in. Still, Xiao Ran would protect his friend — he wouldn't abandon him.
Xu was tired but wary. He'd read scenes like this in novels; living it was another matter. He'd also felt self-conscious: a bank card in his pocket suddenly seemed like treasure.
There was a knock at his door. It was Yu Jingjing seeking a photo; then she walked in, coy. Xu tried to charm her with lines he'd used in novels. She laughed; he felt a connection. She found Xu amusing and a bit endearing.
Yu Jingjing told him she was manager Young and had an air of practiced playfulness. Yet she hinted she wasn't simply a campus idol. She had a reputation — Violet Rose — and she seemed to take a liking to Xu.
Xiao Ran realized Yu Jingjing wasn't exactly what she seemed. He warned Xu: "She came for you, and she probably isn't purely a campus belle."
"Let her be. Tonight, steady her," Xiao Ran advised. He didn't want Xu to miss a big chance — Yu Jingjing might know something about Li Anran. Xu hadn't told Xiao Ran about his parents arriving soon; he was being pushed into the whole scene.
Later, when Xu and Yu Jingjing spent the night together, Xiao Ran stayed restless, worried about followers outside. He eventually slept once he confirmed Xu was safe.